


Join the Parade

by orphan_account



Category: Tuck Everlasting - Miller/Tysen/Shear & Federle
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-15 04:57:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8043418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When The Man in the Yellow Suit catches up to the Tuck family in Treegap wood, they thought he would expose the secret of the water. Little did they know, his real plan was much worse. As Winnie is held captive, the Tuck family tries to break her out and bring her home. But when a certain teenage detective comes to their aid, everything changes.





	1. Chapter 1

Jesse knelt down beside the spring, filling the tiny glass bottle. If he had to leave Winnie, she at least needed the chance to drink if she wanted it. As he put the cap on and tucked it inside his jacket, he heard that familiar voice behind him.

“Well, hello Seventeen,” Jesse froze and turned around. Not him… Anyone but him.

“You…” he managed to say, despite his throat constricting nervously. What did he want? Why was he there?

“Me,” the man in the yellow suit chuckled triumphantly. “Why don't you show me what you’ve been hiding?”

“I-I have no idea what you're talking about,” Jesse stammered. The small bottle in his pocket felt so much heavier now that he was in danger of revealing everything.

“Now, I know what you may be thinking… I don't want the water. Too many people living forever, where would the novelty in that be? Who needs to live forever when you can die filthy rich! After all, selling the water would cause quite a commotion, don't you think? It would run out eventually and where would all the money go from there?” He waited for a moment, but after Jesse wouldn't respond, he shrugged, adjusting his tie. “No, I want something much better than that. Your family. I know that you know where they are, so why don't you lead me to them?” The man barked menacingly. Jesse heard footsteps behind him and froze as his family emerged from the woods with Winnie in tow. Jesse gestured for them to run, but none of them were paying attention to him. “Well, if it isn't the family of the hour!” He cheered. Miles pushed Winnie behind him and glared at the man.

“What do you want from us?” Miles demanded. The man just laughed, leaning up against a tree.

“I don't think you understand. I want  _ you.  _ A family that can never die? Can never get hurt? Wouldn't that make for a great sideshow at the fair?” Winnie walked over to Jesse while the man was distracted, standing behind him instead of Miles.

“You're insane! We would never agree to that!” Angus crossed his arms across his chest.

“That's true… But what if there was something at risk?” He grabbed Winnie from behind Jesse, holding a pistol to her head.

“No!” Mae cried out as Miles held her back. Winnie whimpered in fear and looked around at the Tucks, scared out of her mind.

“Now I've got your attention, huh? Here’s the deal. You come with me, or she dies. Even if she got away, I know where her family lives,” he smirked evilly. “You’re going to be an attraction at my fair until one of us dies. And I don't intend on dying any time soon. So, what’ll it be?” He cocked the gun, still holding it to Winnie’s head.

“We’ll go with you! Just don't hurt her!” Jesse cried out, taking a step towards him. The man smirked, setting the gun down but keeping a grip on Winnie.

“I knew you'd see reason,” he began to walk out of the wood, dragging Winnie along behind him. “Come along, or she’ll pay for it!” The Tucks reluctantly followed him, not wanting anything to happen to Winnie. Jesse felt extremely guilty as they walked to the fairgrounds. It was his fault that they were in the woods in the first place. They came to the clearing where the fair had been set up the night before, but everything was taken down. All that was left was a few wagons, and one covered wagon with bars around the edges, like a prison. The man shoved Winnie inside of it and gestured for the Tucks to follow. Mae immediately sat beside Winnie.

“It's going to be alright, Winnie. We’re going to do what he asks and nothing will happen to you,” Mae hugged her tightly. Winnie clung to her and began to sob as Angus took a seat beside them. Jesse and Miles sat at the other end of the wagon, not wanting to get involved. As the wagon began to move, Miles smacked Jesse.

“Way to go, Jesse! This is your fault!” Miles clenched his jaw as Jesse glared at his older brother.

“How is this my fault?! I didn't ask him to do that! I didn't know it was happening!” Jesse yelled back. Angus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Boys,  _ enough _ ,” he chastised, knowing their arguing would only upset Winnie more.

“No, he needs to know that we would all be fine if he just did as we told him to! If he didn't go to get the water for Winnie, we wouldn't be in this mess!” Miles scooted away from Jesse, glaring out of the bars as they left Treegap.

“Miles, knock it off,” Mae gave him a stern look. Miles stopped talking, just watching the passing landscape.

“J-Jesse I'm so sorry… It’s all my fault,” Winnie sniffed, wiping her eyes. Jesse sat by her and hugged her tightly.

“Winnie, this isn't your fault!” He comforted her. She shook her head, looking down.

“If I didn't ask you for the water, none of this would have happened. I messed up and now you're all being forced into this because he's using me!” Winnie’s bottom lip trembled as if she were going to start crying again.

“No one’s blaming you,” Miles spoke up from the other end of the wagon. “We’re just going to have to find a way to deal with this and get the hell out of here,” he looked at his family. “What's the worst that could happen? We get Winnie out first so he can't get to her and we leave afterwards,” Miles crossed his arms.

“But what if it doesn't work and he catches up to us? That’s putting Winnie’s life at stake again,” Angus sighed. “It's a nice thought Miles, but this is more complicated than we can decipher right now.” The Tucks fell into silence as night began to sweep over the New Hampshire landscape.

After a while, Winnie dozed off, laying her head down in Mae’s lap. Jesse took of his jacket, using it as a blanket for her. The Tucks knew that her safety came before their comfort. If they had to deal with being some weird sideshow attraction if it kept Winnie safe, then they were willing to do it. One by one, they also fell asleep until Jesse was the only one awake. He couldn't sleep. Not until he either passed out from exhaustion or until Winnie was back home safe. He dreaded what was to come the next day, but for the time being, Winnie was all that mattered.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, the Tucks were woken with a startle as the wagons stopped in a clearing where the fair would be that evening. Winnie sat up, looking around in confusion. The man in the yellow suit opened the door, smirking at them.

“Well, it’s time to set up the fair! The girl stays with me so she can't run, but you’re all staying in here until I can set up where you’ll go,” he grabbed Winnie by the wrist, putting a handcuff on her. She tried to get away and he pulled a knife from his jacket pocket. “Do you think fighting is such a good idea? Your fate lies in my hands, little girl. So you’d better do as I say, got it?” he held the knife up to her and she nodded silently, tears streaming down her cheeks. As he dragged her away, Jesse turned to his family.

“What are we going to do? We can’t just let her suffer like this!” he sighed, seeing that the rest of them were as upset as he was.

“Jesse, I know we need to help her, but until we know what our situation is, it’s going to be difficult to even formulate a plan,” Angus looked at him. “It’ll be hard on all of us, but it’s the reality of the situation.”

They sat in silence for a while as Jesse surveyed their surroundings. He needed to know where they were keeping Winnie, and what the hell was going to happen to them. He heard various construction sounds around the corner where the view was blocked, but figured it was just the normal setup. He couldn’t have been more wrong. A sideshow booth was being built specifically for the Tucks. They were the man in the yellow suit’s newest attraction. Winnie watched in stunned curiosity as they built it, not sure what it was, but knew it wasn’t from the fair she’d been to.

“What is this?” she asked, looking at the man, who by then had attached her handcuffs to a chain, which he then tied up near his work station. He looked at her, a malicious grin spreading across his face.

“This is for that little family who got dragged into this by you,” he said, trying to make Winnie feel guilty. “You see, they’re my newest addition to the fair. Folks’ll come from all around to see the freak show family. They’ll shoot ‘em, burn ‘em, beat ‘em with a stick, hell they can do whatever they want! Because nothing will hurt ‘em! It’ll make me millions!” he cackled as Winnie looked at him in horror.

“You can’t do that! They’re people too!” Winnie protested.

“Right, because normal people can do the things that they do, can’t they? Let’s shoot you and that young boy at the same time and see which one of ya comes out of it still breathin’! See, they’re not still people, no matter what they’ve made you believe,” he put the finishing touch on the booth and took a step back, admiring his handiwork. It looked similar to a carnival game, only there were bars on each end, like the old wagon they were brought in, most likely to ensure that the Tucks wouldn’t try to get out. A small pile of about seven rifles sat on the wooden counter. Winnie couldn’t bring herself to imagine what those would be used for and clenched her jaw, holding back more tears. All she wanted was to go home and for the Tucks to be set free.

As the day wore on, the sun began to beat down on Winnie and the man noticed her discomfort.

“I guess you’re wondering where you’ll be staying. I can’t run this booth and keep an eye on you, so you’re going to get your own little house behind all of the wagons,” Winnie could tell from his tone that wherever she was going to be kept was going to be nothing like a house. He pulled her along behind all of the fair’s wagons and Winnie saw a small structure that could loosely be called a house. It was more of a doghouse than anything for a human. The man wrapped the chain around one of the wagon’s wheels. The chain was long enough for Winnie to be comfortably inside the structure, but not enough that she could go around and see anything in the fair. The man walked away and Winnie crawled into the structure, seeing a thin blanket and a hard pillow tossed haphazardly inside of it. At least she wouldn’t be as miserable as she could have been in the night.

Winnie sat in there for the better part of the day until she started hearing the gunshots. Remembering the rifles she’d seen beside the new booth, she squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to imagine what the Tucks were going through at that moment. After the lights of the fair went out at about midnight, Winnie came out and looked around. It was dead silent and she was a little afraid of what could happen in the dark.

Meanwhile, the Tucks were ushered back to their wagon. A curtain had been wrapped around the inside for some sort of insulation to keep the cold night air out, and a pile of threadbare blankets were sitting just inside the door. The man left the door to the wagon open as all of the Tucks made their way inside.

“Just know, I’m trusting you with this. If any of you think of escaping in the middle of the night, the girl dies. If I come back in the morning and even one of you are gone, she’s history.  Have a good night!” he called out, his singsong voice dripping with sarcasm. Jesse stood up as Mae folded all the blankets.

“There’s ten of them here. I guess each of us can have two,” Mae handed each of them two blankets. Miles rubbed his neck, sitting against the curtain-clad bars of the wagon.

“How long do you think we can do that for? I mean, it’s not like they’re actually torturing us, but it’s not going to be enjoyable whatsoever,” Miles closed his eyes.

“We’re going to do it so long as Winnie is alive, or we can somehow manage to get out,” Angus shrugged, wrapping an arm around Mae. Jesse grabbed one of the blankets and headed towards the door of the wagon. “Where do you think you’re going?” Angus asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I'm going to find where they took Winnie. What if they didn’t give her any blankets and she’s freezing?” Jesse looked at them. “Unlike us, she could freeze to death, not just be uncomfortable.”

“Just be sure to be back as soon as you can, okay?” Mae looked at him. “Take this other blanket too, she might need it,” she handed him the other extra blanket. Jesse nodded, going out to search for her.

Jesse eventually found the tiny structure and knelt down beside it.

“Psst! Winnie! You in there?” Jesse whisper-yelled. Winnie cautiously looked out, then noticed him and hugged him tightly.

“Jesse! What happened to you all, are you okay?” Winnie looked at him worriedly. Jesse chuckled, wrapping one of the blankets around her shoulders.

“We’re all fine, you don’t need to worry about us. What about you?” he asked, looking at her wrist where the handcuffs were hooked on. “Is this hurting you?” Winnie pulled her wrist away, shaking her head.

“No, it’s not too tight. I’m just scared, you know?” she hugged her knees. Jesse nodded, looking down at his hands.

“Look, I’m really glad you’re safe. At least for now. I promise we’re going to do everything we can to get you out of here. Even if I’m being shot at everyday for the rest of my existence, it would be all okay if it meant you were home and safe,” Jesse gave her a small, encouraging smile. “So just keep holding on, okay?” Jesse squeezed her hand tightly before standing up and running off. Winnie watched him leave and hugged the blanket to her chest, praying everything would be over soon.


	3. Chapter 3

As the weeks passed, Winnie grew more and more desperate. After being stuck with the traveling fair for nearly three months, she was just a shell of her old self. She’d marked the days on the side of her tiny home, doubting more and more with each day that passed that she’d ever see home again. Jesse still visited her every night, never losing his positivity. But he could see that it was taking a huge toll on her, so he did everything in his power to make her happier. Jesse began sneaking her extra food when he noticed her clothes becoming loose on her already-petite figure, and he stole prizes in the middle of the night so that Winnie had a small collection of dolls and bears to keep her company and to try and cheer her up. He had felt horrible after not seeing even the hint of a smile from her for a whole week and returned the next day with a small grey bear in his arms. He’d gotten so adept at stealing from the fair that her once-makeshift bed consisting of two blankets and a pillow was now like a little blanket nest surrounded by all of the various prizes Jesse had gotten her.

The Tucks now had a more comfortable wagon as well, which was a godsend in the early November weather. Luckily, they’d all been given warmer clothes. Not by the man in the yellow suit, of course, but by the other workers of the fair who noticed that their clothes meant for early August would be useless in November. Jesse had smuggled clothes to Winnie, knowing that the man in the yellow suit would never give her anything more than a pair of socks to get her through the winter.

One night, Jesse saw Winnie waiting outside for him despite the cold weather, holding her favorite stuffed bear in her arms. Winnie had figured out early on that both she and Jesse fit inside the small structure, although it was a tight squeeze. Jesse grinned, handing her a small bundle that held warm bread and potatoes. Winnie smiled at him, taking it inside and sat down on her makeshift bed. Jesse sat beside her and was relieved that he’d drank before he hit his last growth spurt, otherwise they would be out in the cold.

“I’ve been keeping track of every day we’ve been stuck in here. My birthday is the day after tomorrow,” Winnie looked to Jesse. “I’m finally turning twelve!” she smiled, despite the fact that she would have to spend her birthday with the fair.

“You’re kidding! Well, I’ll have to find you something even better to bring you then! It’s not everyday someone turns twelve,” Jesse brushed his messy hair out of his eyes. “I’m really proud of you, Winnie. We’ve been here for two months and you’re still pulling through. Granted, we’ve all lost a bit of ourselves. Hell, Miles hasn’t even talked in the entire time we’ve been here because of everything! But we’ll get through it, as long as you’re okay,” Jesse smiled supportively.

“How much longer do you think we’ll be here?” Winnie asked, rubbing her wrist underneath the handcuff that was still tight around her.

“Hard to say, kid. I hope we get out within the next month since it’s getting pretty cold out, but it could be a while,” Jesse noticed that her wrist was bright red and looking a little swollen. “If that handcuff is doing this much, then we should get you out sooner rather than later,” he sighed, examining it. “This really doesn’t look good,” Jesse looked at her, worried.

“I’ll be fine once we get out. My wrist can last until then,” Winnie tried to smile. She opened the small package and began to eat, offering a piece of bread to Jesse. He smiled and took it, knowing she always wanted him to have something, even if she was on the verge of starvation.

“What do you want to do once we get out of here?” Winnie asked, swallowing the last of her food. Jesse shrugged, finishing off the small piece of stale bread.

“I’d just go back to what I was doing. I’ve heard great things about the Amazon rainforest. It would be fun to go exploring again,” he paused, looking at her neutral expression, trying to figure her out. “What about you?”

“I don’t know. I did want to drink the water, but now I’m wondering what it would be like to just have a normal life again,” Winnie looked at him. Jesse nodded, then suddenly remembered he had the small vial of the water stashed away in his jacket, hidden in their wagon. If things went on for too long, he could always give it to her as a way out.

“Well, I guess we’ll have time for you to decide that,” Jesse tried to smile reassuringly. “I’d still love to travel the world with you, but I’ll be happy with whatever you want out of life,” he stood up, brushing the dirt from his pants. “I should get back before they wonder where I am. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Winnie nodded and he grinned at her once more before running back to the wagon. Jesse sat down once inside, wrapping himself in one of the many blankets they’d hoarded. “Winnie’s birthday is in two days,” Jesse stated, looking at his family. Miles wasn’t paying attention to him, as usual, Angus had fallen asleep by that time, but Mae put her hand to her heart, giving Jesse the reaction he was looking for.

“I can’t believe she’s going to have to spend it in a place like this. Oh, poor Winnie. If only I had yarn or something, I could make her a gift,” Mae sighed. She went on for a while, talking about how much she wished she could help Winnie. Miles rose from his spot in the corner and looked at the two of them, not saying a word. He sighed and ran his fingers through his tangled hair before leaving their wagon. Jesse and Mae watched him leave, confused as to what he was doing.

After a while of wandering around the empty fairgrounds, Miles found Winnie. He saw that she was still outside, looking up at the star-filled sky. Miles sat beside her, not saying anything for a moment. Winnie looked at him and cocked her head in confusion. They sat in silence before Winnie grabbed one of her blankets and handed it to Miles.

“It’s almost winter. You need to remember to take care of yourself,” Winnie smiled a little at him. Miles cracked a small smile, draping the blanket over his shoulders. He took a deep breath before turning to her.

“I’m really sorry that you have to spend all this time alone,” Miles finally said, his voice low and raspy, as if he hadn’t said a word in ages, which, if Jesse was telling the truth, he most likely hadn't. “I’m sure it must be miserable, only getting to see one person for about an hour once a day.” Miles cleared his throat, trying to make his voice more calming.

“It’s not so bad… At least I have Jesse. And the man in the yellow suit started leaving me alone for the most part,” Winnie shrugged, looking straight ahead before whispering to Miles. “Don’t tell anyone, but he scares me. I used to think I could be brave and stand up to him, but if I do, he could kill me,” Winnie looked down, hugging the bear closer to her chest. Miles scooted closer to her and tried to smile.

“Did I tell you about how I used to teach Thomas about the constellations?” Winnie shook her head and he chuckled. “Well, I did. I could teach you about them too, as long as it stays clear like this,” Miles looked up in the sky, then squeezed her hand, pointing out a cluster of stars. “See that group there? That forms the constellation called Andromeda. You can only see it in November. There’s a Greek myth about it. Andromeda was this beautiful girl who stopped the sea god Poseidon from destroying her country by sacrificing herself. Eventually, she was saved by the hero Perseus. And the goddess Artemis placed Andromeda among the stars as the constellation when she died,” Miles continued talking about the different formations of stars and the stories that went with them, distracting her from everything that had happened. For a moment, Winnie forgot the pain in her wrist and the chills that constantly ran through her from the frigid November air. Miles forgot that he was some novelty freak in a traveling fair who could accidentally get this girl killed if he slipped up. In that moment, it was as if they were safe, somewhere far away from the fair and chains and wishes of freedom.

“Miles, why did you come here?” Winnie asked after a while. “Jesse said you hadn’t talked in weeks, and now you’re talking to me as if everything’s okay.”

“I knew you needed a distraction. Jesse is great company, but all he can talk about is getting out. I thought you’d want to escape from it all, even if it was just for a short amount of time. We’re all worried about you, you know,” Miles looked at her.

“I’m worried about all of you too,” Winnie sighed. “It’s hard spending all this time alone,” she suddenly hugged Miles tightly. “Thank you for sitting and talking with me,” Winnie said softly. Miles hugged her back, knowing he would have pushed her away if she were anyone else. But Winnie needed the comfort of another person.

“If I don’t see you before then, I want to wish you a happy birthday,” he smiled. Winnie grinned at him.

“Did Jesse tell you?” Miles nodded, then looked at her arm, noticing that it seemed swollen. He carefully took it in his hand.

“Winnie, this looks horrible. Does it hurt?” Winnie shook her head. Miles sighed. “You don’t have to lie about it,” He noticed that she didn’t have sleeves long enough to cover her wrists and took his jacket off, ripping a strip from the bottom of it. He wrapped it around her wrist so it would stop rubbing and chafing.

“Thank you, Miles,” She smiled thankfully. Winnie thought for a moment for some way to pay him back, then handed her bear to Miles.

“Take good care of this. I want you to have it, okay? And if we get out of this, it’ll remind you of me, even when I’m back home and you’re off seeing the world,” Winnie smiled sweetly at him. Miles chuckled and gave her another halfhearted hug.

“Thanks, Winnie. Now, why don’t you go to sleep? I’ve probably kept you up long enough,” Miles stood up, still holding onto the bear. Winnie nodded, yawning as if right on cue. “Sweet dreams,” Miles said to her before he walked away.

“Where have you been?” Jesse asked as Miles entered the wagon again. “And why do you have a bear?”

“I just thought Winnie could use more company, that’s all,” Miles shrugged. Jesse looked at him in confusion, not expecting him to actually answer. “And she gave this to me. To remember her by when we eventually get out of here,” Miles smiled a little, laying down in his spot in the corner.

“What did you talk about with her?” Jesse asked, sitting beside his brother. Miles sat up, looking at Jesse.

“I taught her about the constellations. I used to do that with Thomas when he was feeling overwhelmed, so I thought it might do her some good,” Miles yawned, rubbing his eyes.

“Winnie reminds you of Thomas, doesn’t she?” Jesse looked at Miles. Miles sighed, refusing to make eye contact. Jesse stopped, knowing he hit a nerve. “Miles, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring it up, just forget I said anything.”

“No, you’re actually right Jesse. I just never really thought of it like that,” Miles laughed without any humor in his expression. “That’s probably why I’m so goddamn determined to get her out, you know? I can’t lose another person…” Miles trailed off, knowing he had said too much of what he was thinking. “I’m going to bed now.” Miles muttered, turning away from Jesse in embarrassment. Jesse sighed, standing up.

“This is more than we’ve talked in the three months since we were home. I’m glad you’re talking again,” Jesse said softly to him, laying down and pulling his own blankets over his head.

“So am I,” Miles said quietly, looking at the small grey bear beside his pillow. Somehow, this tiny thing gave him so much more hope for getting out. He just hoped that, for Winnie’s sake, it would happen soon.


	4. Chapter 4

“Well, Hugo, I think we need to call it. It’s been three months and there’s been no sign of Miss Foster whatsoever. No clues, no tiny pieces of evidence, no eyewitnesses, nothing!” Constable Joe sighed, tucking his handkerchief into his jacket. The past few months had been filled with stress after zero clues had been found about her disappearance. Winnie’s mother had become desperate for any information and they felt horrible that they couldn’t find any leads to give her. Hugo just wanted to find his friend again. He was a few years older, but Winnie had always gone to Hugo to borrow books, since her teacher at school only had ones for her age level. But Winnie was always eager to learn, and Hugo was just excited about having someone to discuss books with.

“I thought we were going to search until we found her! We can’t just give up on Winnie!” Hugo protested, pulling out his deputy handbook. “It says here to never give up on a case until you solve it. How would Winnie’s mother feel about us stopping the investigation?” He had to admit, he also wanted Winnie back, but her mother must have been even more desperate. Joe sighed, rubbing his neck out of stress.

“Hugo, it’s not just about that. If we haven’t found her, or at least a clue to where she’d be by now, she’s most likely dead. It’s easiest to address that sooner rather than in a year when she’s still missing. Besides, she wouldn’t be able to survive on her own in this weather. There’s already been a snowstorm. If she’s in New Hampshire, she might as well be dead,” he sighed, grabbing his hat. “I’m going to go tell the family, you stay put. I don’t need you running off trying to find her.” Hugo sat down, adjusting his tie. He couldn’t just let Winnie down like this. Something needed to be done; he knew she was still out there, despite what the evidence said. He worked straight through every day, even every weekend and all through his seventeenth birthday, in order to find anything. Hugo just wanted to bring her home.

“Yes, sir,” Hugo said softly as he walked out the door. The minute the door closed, Hugo leapt from his chair, grabbing his satchel. As he ran to get his coat and scarf, he tripped over his deputy handbook, which had been accidentally knocked onto the ground in his hurry. Hugo stood up, fixing his hair. As he rushed around, trying to grab his belongings, his hair kept falling in his face. He sighed, pushing it all to one side in annoyance. He’d have time to fix his hair back to normal eventually. “Winnie can’t be dead. I’ll find her even if I have to do it all by myself,” Hugo promised himself as he wrapped the scarf around his neck. He knew that Winnie couldn’t just have disappeared. Even if she’d gotten lost in the wood, they would have found her in a day or two. Something had to have happened, and he was determined to figure out what.

Hugo left in a rush, searching every inch of the Fosters wood. It was tiring, and the freezing air didn’t help his breathing, but he wasn’t going to stop until his hands froze or he found a clue. As he leaned up against a tall ash tree to catch his breath, a light snowfall began. Something glistened beneath a shriveled up pile of leaves a few feet in front of it and Hugo knelt down curiously. Moving them aside, he found a small pistol with a few bright yellow threads snagged on it.

“No way…” Hugo gasped. The gun still had all its bullets, it was obviously only used for threatening and never actually went off. That could mean that Winnie was still alive. As for the threads attached to it, he’d only ever seen one person wearing anything close to that color. While Hugo went over the possibilities in his mind, he heard a croak. He shrieked in fear, then noticed a toad lounging on one of the roots of the tree beside a small, clear spring that somehow hadn’t frozen yet, despite the cold weather. He took a deep breath, wondering how that toad was still alive well into November in the middle of New Hampshire.

Hugo still felt winded from the combination of the amount of walking he’d done, and from being scared by the toad. He thought for a moment, then knelt beside the spring. A drink of cool water was sure to help him relax, and this one seemed clear, like there was no dirt or anything affecting it. It looked more appetizing than any other water he’d seen before. He just hoped the toad hadn’t been in the water before leaping onto the tree root where it now sat. Before he could take a drink, the toad croaked again, causing Hugo to jump again. This thing apparently did not like him. He glared at the toad, wiping the excess water from his hands on his pant legs.

“Am I not allowed to drink or something?” Hugo asked, annoyed. He laughed a little at himself. “Why am I talking to a toad? This is ridiculous,” he muttered, leaning over once more and took a sip of the water. It didn’t taste like anything special, so Hugo thought nothing of it. Feeling refreshed, Hugo went back toward the gun and picked it up carefully. He stashed in his satchel as evidence and nearly ran back to the station before stopping. No one was going to believe him. No one else believed that Winnie was alive, so it was all up to him. As he began to walk away, the toad croaked once more. Hugo sighed, turning back to it. “You know her, don’t you?” the toad gave no answer, as he expected, but he picked it up anyway. “You’re lucky I’m growing on you, pal,” Hugo muttered. He was pleasantly surprised to find out that the toad wasn’t slimy, but rough like leather. It would be his traveling companion on his way to find Winnie. He knew it was going to be hard, but he needed to find that fair, the man in the yellow suit, and Winnie, before it was too late. Hugo just needed a few days to prepare.

In those few days, Hugo became more and more determined to find Winnie. Seeing her mother and grandmother so distraught was hard on him. He knew that he’d be able to find her, but nobody else would believe that she was still out there after what had happened. So he had to keep his mission to himself. The toad was easier to take care of and keep private than he’d thought. It kept quiet for the most part, and he had grown used to the croaking and was no longer scared of it. After a few days of pretending that he was fine, he left in the middle of the night to go looking for the fair. Once he found that, he’d find out what happened to Winnie.

Hugo bought a train ticket early the next morning after walking to the next town over with the toad tucked away in his satchel. By then, he figured the fair had left New Hampshire, so he got on the next train to St. Jonesbury, Vermont. Hugo hoped he was right about the fair’s location as he bounced his knee nervously in anticipation. If he couldn’t find the fair, he had no hope of finding Winnie. Hugo had started his first case three months prior, and he wasn’t going to let it end like this.


	5. Chapter 5

Immediately after the fair closed on Winnie’s birthday, Jesse ran eagerly back to the wagon to grab the gift he’d gotten for her. He’d seen a beautiful porcelain doll with red hair much like Winnie’s with the other prizes and knew that she would love it. After having smuggled it back to the Tuck’s temporary home, Jesse tried to keep it in near-perfect condition. It meant a lot to him and he knew it would mean a lot to Winnie.

She seemed to be in a better mood than usual after Miles had started accompanying Jesse for the past two days. Miles seemed to be in a better mood as well, despite the fact that they still were on display, being tortured day after day. Every morning when the fair left for a new town and brought them farther from Treegap, Jesse grew more restless. He knew that Winnie needed to get out, but he felt helpless, knowing that if there were even one flaw in their plan, Winnie was in danger. Miles entered the wagon a little after Jesse and cracked a small smile.

“Ready to go bring Winnie her gift?” Miles asked as Jesse grabbed the doll from its hiding spot. Jesse grinned widely in response. He was relieved that Miles had started talking again. In contrast to everything they’d been subjected to, Miles had made an effort to be less moody and more like his old self. Jesse hadn’t seen that side of his brother in decades. It gave him hope that they could make it out and still be themselves at the end of the day.

“Definitely. I think she’s going to love it!” he responded. They walked together to Winnie’s tiny home and stopped before they rounded the corner, hearing shouting. Miles and Jesse gave each other a look as they walked around the wagon Winnie was behind and were shocked at the sight, The man in the yellow suit had torn apart her small collection of various prizes and they lay on the ground in a messy heap. He had Winnie by her shoulders and kept yelling at her.

“How dare you steal from the fair?! How did you even get out of your cuffs?!” he barked, shaking her out of rage. Winnie just stared up at him in fear, unable to react or stop the flow of tears running down her cheeks. “Why don’t you answer me, girl? You have the audacity to steal prizes for yourself but you can’t even answer my questions?!” Winnie closed her eyes, whimpering softly. Jesse stepped forward, but Miles stopped him.

“We can’t interfere, he could kill her if we do,” Miles looked at him, his eyes wide. Jesse nodded, knowing that his brother wanted her to be safe. Things could get worse if they tried to stop the man. It was clear that his mood could change at the drop of a hat.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to! I just wanted to-” Winnie cried out as he yanked on her hurt wrist, pulling her up to his eye level. She sobbed as he dangled her in the air, her arm throbbing in pain from his abuse. Winnie just wanted the whole ordeal to be over. It wasn’t her fault that she had all those prizes, but she wasn’t about to go blaming Jesse for something. She knew he just wanted to make her happier, so she kept her mouth shut about who really stole the prizes.

“Just wanted to what?! Are you not grateful for what I’ve given you already? The greedy little brat needed to have everything all for herself,” he threw her to the ground as if she were a ragdoll. Winnie continued to cry, landing hard on her knees. “Look, girly. Your life is in my hands. One more slip up and you’re history,” he leaned in close to her, grabbing her chin in his grimy hands as he stared her down. “Do you understand me?” Winnie couldn’t speak through the tears, struggling to catch her breath through the sobs that wouldn’t stop coming. He rolled his eyes and slapped her across the face repeatedly to emphasize each syllable. “Do. You. Under. Stand?” he spat, grabbing her by her hair and yanking her upwards once more. Winnie cried out again, trying to get away, but felt more pain as he threw her to the ground once again.

Jesse nudged his brother, stepping forward once more. Miles didn’t stop him this time. He clenched his fists and suddenly lost his temper, not caring about the consequences anymore. All that mattered was Winnie. He ran over and slammed the man up against one of the other wagons, grabbing his suit tightly in his hands so he couldn’t get out of Miles’ grasp.

“KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!” Miles roared, using his height to intimidate him. Jesse ran to Winnie’s side, talking to her in a soothing voice and hugging her tightly as she buried her face into his shirt, sobbing. The man just smirked at Miles, despite the upper hand that Miles obviously had in the strength department.

“Or what, you’ll kill me? I’m the only one with the power here, and you’re just putting her life in danger by trying to stop me,” he sneered. Miles clenched his jaw in anger and punched him in the face, hearing the sharp crack of his nose as it broke under Miles’ force. The man winced and held his nose, backing away from Miles as he held his free hand in the air in mock surrender. “Look, I’m a reasonable man. I’ll forget about this incident, since you obviously care for this girl so much,” he saw the blood trickling onto his suit and pulled out a handkerchief. “But you have one more chance before she pays for what you’ve done, got it?” he raised an eyebrow, making eye contact with Miles.

“Only if you promise to _never_ lay a hand on Winnie again,” Miles crossed his arms, his jaw still clenched in rage.

“Fine, then I guess we have a deal. Now go back to your wagons, I don’t want to see you until you’re at your posts tomorrow,” he walked away, still holding his nose. Miles turned to Winnie, running to her side. As he knelt beside her, she threw her arms around him and sobbed as Jesse looked at Miles desperately, not knowing what to do at that point. Miles rubbed her back and closed his eyes.

“Winnie, I’m so sorry this happened. Honestly, I swear to you that we’re going to get you out of here the minute we have the chance,” Miles said softly, brushing her hair out of her face. Jesse sat beside them, in shock that anyone would harm Winnie the way that man just had. She hadn’t done anything wrong and he treated her so terribly. Miles held her as she continued to cry.

“H-how can any person be so mean?” Winnie whimpered softly, continuing to hold onto Miles for comfort.

“I just don’t know, Winnie,” Miles shook his head. All he knew was that he needed to get her out of there. Winnie held her arm in pain and Miles noticed the many red marks on her face. They were definitely going to leave bruises. He carefully examined her arm and saw that the man had dug his fingernails into her skin, drawing blood. Winnie wiped her eyes and just stared at the ground. Jesse shifted uncomfortably, not knowing how to help.

“Hey, Winnie, I got you a birthday present…” Jesse pulled out the doll, trying to cheer her up. Winnie smiled before wincing, feeling pain from her sore face. She took it carefully, not wanting to break the fragile doll.

“I love it,” Winnie said softly, just staring at it. “She even looks like me,” Winnie hugged the doll close. Jesse smiled a little, hugging her.

“I hoped you would,” he looked to Miles, sighing. “Look, Winnie. I’m really sorry about what happened. It’s my fault for stealing all those things for you. I’m the reason he got mad at you and I feel horrible.”

“No, Jesse, don’t feel bad,” Winnie shook her head. “I loved everything you gave me, really! I just didn’t think he would look through my stuff and find them.” She looked down at the doll and slowly handed it back to him. “You should keep this too, just in case. I’ll always have time to keep it for myself when we get out,” Winnie said quietly, as if she didn’t really want to give it up.

“I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about him anymore, Winnie. He seemed pretty terrified of Miles, to say the least,” Jesse chuckled. “Really, you’re going to be perfectly fine from now on. We’ll keep visiting you every night and you don’t have to worry about a thing anymore. Just focus on staying warm and not giving up hope, okay?” Jesse handed the doll back to her, smiling sweetly. Winnie nodded, hugging it close to her chest again.

“You know… There’s one plus side to all of this…” Winnie said quietly.

“What’s that?” Miles asked, looking at her curiously. He couldn’t think of any positives to their situation. She smiled a little and shrugged.

“This is probably the longest your family has been together in decades, isn’t it? You must enjoy not having to separate,” she giggled. Miles laughed, wrapping an arm around her comfortingly.

“You’re right. Despite the circumstances, I’m grateful that we’ve been together for so long,” Miles nodded, looking at Jesse. Jesse smiled at him in response.

“Hey, so what do you want to do when we get out, Miles? Me and Winnie already talked about it, but I haven’t heard from you yet!” Jesse sat up, trying to lighten the mood. Winnie grinned at Miles as well, turning to face him fully.

“I want to hear that too!” Winnie nodded in agreement to Jesse. Miles laughed, stretching his legs out.

“Honestly, I’m not that exciting. I don’t go out and explore the world like Jesse does, I just find a town and try to live there as normally as I can,” he shrugged. “I do odd jobs and take what I can, then move on.”

“That sounds nice too, though,” Winnie insisted. “I want something like that. I don’t know if I can go back to Treegap. Everyone probably forgot about me,” Winnie looked down at her hands, wringing them together nervously in her lap.

“Winnie, that’s not true. I know for a fact that your mother is just waiting for you to come home. If Thomas had gone missing, I wouldn’t have just stopped caring about him after a few months. Hell, it’s been decades since I’ve seen him and I’d give anything to see him again,” Miles looked at Winnie. “Trust me, you mother will want you back, even if it’s ten years before we get out of here.” Winnie looked up at him.

“Are you sure?” she asked quietly. He smiled, hugging her.

“I’m positive,” Miles stood up, stretching his arms. “I should hit the hay. Coming, Jesse?” He asked, putting his hands into his pockets.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Jesse nodded as Miles walked away. He looked at Winnie, not knowing if he should mention the small bottle of the water he had hidden away. Jesse decided against it, hugging her tightly. “Happy birthday again, Winnie. I hope you like the doll,” he stood up, adjusting his jacket.

“Thank you, Jesse. You and Miles really made this day a whole lot better,” she smiled thankfully at him. He chuckled, kicking a small stone.

“We care a lot about you, Winnie. Miles and I want you to be as safe as possible,” Jesse yawned. “Well, I’m gonna head to bed. G’night, Winnie Foster,” he walked away, whistling to himself. She watched him leave then went inside, feeling chilled. Winnie lay down and held her doll close to her chest. She began to cry again, thinking about her family. She desperately wanted to go home. Everything seemed to be getting worse, and today was as bad as it could have gotten. On top of everything, she'd started feeling sick due to the constant exposure to the cold November weather. She hoped it would just pass in a day or two. She didn't want to worry Miles and Jesse any more than she already had. Winnie knew that she didn’t deserve this treatment and could only hope that nobody had given up on her return. If even one person from Treegap was still looking for her, then she knew it would all be okay.


	6. Chapter 6

Hugo stepped off the train in Vermont and looked around curiously. He had no clue where he was going to go from there. The toad was still in his satchel, napping comfortably, so he didn’t have to worry about it escaping. Hugo walked to the ticket desk to ask for directions before seeing a flyer nailed to the bulletin board. It advertised the fair, giving directions to the field in which it was staying for the evening. Hugo grinned. His timing had been perfect. Hopefully this was the right fair. As he headed in the direction the flyer stated, Hugo suddenly stopped in his tracks, a thought crossing his mind. How was he going to gain access to the fair’s information? Was he just going to march up to the man in the yellow suit and just ask for a job? He decided that it was a stupid idea, but it might be his only way in. It wouldn’t hurt to try.

As he made his way there, the sounds of gunshots became louder. Hugo kept walking, but knew that something was awry. Gunshots weren’t just a sound that was normal in the middle of a city. Every one caused him to jump nervously. As he made his way to the fair, he immediately noticed the man in the yellow suit. He stood beside a booth where the gunshots originated from. Holding the strap of his bag tighter, he walked over curiously to investigate. Out of everything he imagined it could be, he never anticipated that it was some kind of messed up human shooting range. There had to be some trick to it. Fake bullets, fake guns, it had to be something! The four people being shot at stared off like they would rather be anywhere else in the world, but never looked like they were in any serious pain. It couldn’t have been real.

“Um, sir? May I ask you something?” Hugo stepped forward to the man, trying to think of a fake backstory for himself in order to seem more likely to get a job at the fair. The man looked Hugo up and down for a moment before raising an eyebrow.

“You look lost, kid. What do you want? I’m trying to run a fair here,” he crossed his arms. Hugo nodded, clearing his throat.

“Well, I was noticing that you seemed a little…” Hugo looked around the fair. “Shorthanded. I live near here and thought you could use another employee!” He lied, but kept eye contact to make it seem like he was telling the truth. The man thought, then grinned, seeming like he was formulating a plan.

“You know, I could use another person. I have a special assignment for you, kiddo,” he looked into the booth and yelled “Tucks! You get to take the rest of the day off!” Hugo made eye contact with the youngest who looked about the same age and recognized him immediately. He’d seen him at the fair when it was in Treegap. Maybe he knew about Winnie’s disappearance. As the man led him away, he explained himself. “I need to go out of town for a few days, but there’s something that’s been keeping me here. I need you to take care of this girl and make sure she doesn’t escape. I don’t know what I’d do if she went missing,” he said. Hugo could tell he was lying, but didn’t question him. As long as he got clues about Winnie, he’d stay with the fair. “Girl, why don’t you come on out?” The man called out and Hugo noticed a tiny shelter attached to one of the wagons. The familiar shock of red hair stunned Hugo. Winnie looked up at him and immediately, her eyes went wide. Neither of them could believe their eyes. “This little girl stays with the fair no matter what, got it? She’s your only responsibility. If she goes missing, you’re paying severely. Now, I’ll be back in a bit. When I return, you’ll follow me and I’ll show you where you can stay for the next few days while I’m out,” he left, turning on his heel. The minute he was out of sight, Hugo ran to Winnie’s side.

“I can’t believe you’re alive!” Hugo cried out. “Nobody believed me, I had to come looking for you myself. I’m so glad you’re here.” Winnie immediately hugged him tightly.

“I thought I was never getting out! Hugo, how did you find me?” Winnie looked at him, slightly confused.

“I was looking around the wood for clues and I found this,” Hugo pulled the pistol from his satchel. As he did so, the toad hopped out and Winnie gasped.

“Toad!” Winnie caught it and Hugo smiled.

“I thought you knew that toad! He wouldn’t leave me alone and kept croaking when I found that clue,” Hugo pulled the yellow strings off of the gun. “See, I knew I’d only seen one person with a suit this color and I figured I should follow the fair. Simple detective work,” he shrugged as if it were no big deal. They heard approaching footsteps and Hugo shoved the gun back into his satchel. Winnie carefully set the toad into her home as the man rounded the corner.

“Boy, come with me,” he gestured as Hugo nodded. He gave one last look to Winnie and smiled encouragingly before he took Hugo to another wagon. “There’s a family here who you’ll be staying with. So get cozy with them because we have nowhere else for you to go,” he pushed Hugo inside. Hugo stumbled in as the door closed behind them. He stood up, holding the strap of his satchel once more.

“Sorry, I-I’ll be gone in a few days.” Hugo stammered as they watched him in confusion. He noticed the boy from before and sat down nervously. “Hey, do you know anything about that girl that he’s keeping here?” he asked quietly. They all paid more attention at the mention of Winnie.

“How do you know Winnie?” Jesse asked, raising an eyebrow. “And why should we trust you?”

“My name is Hugo. I’m a detective from Treegap, New Hampshire. Winnie’s my friend and I’ve been searching for her since August!” Hugo pulled his badge out as proof. Jesse raised an eyebrow and examined his badge. “Look, I just want to get her home. Everyone believes she’s dead,” he said softly.

“You traveled all the way here from Treegap just to find her?” Mae asked, looking at him. Hugo nodded.

“She’s my first case and I don’t want to just give up on her. How do you know Winnie?” he looked at them all.

“That’s kind of a long story. Why don’t you tell us how you found her?” Miles walked over, sitting beside Jesse.

“Well, we’d been searching for Winnie since August. Then a few days ago my father, the constable, decided we should give up on her. I didn’t want to, so I went back to the wood to look for more clues. I found this pistol with a few bright yellow strings attached to it and remembered seeing someone with a suit this color. I found that and a toad beside a spring and-”

“You didn’t drink from it, did you?” Angus interrupted.

“Well yeah, it was cold and I’d been looking for a long time so I got thirsty. Anyways, I-”

“Hugo, have you noticed anything odd since you drank from the spring?” Mae asked in a concerned voice. Hugo stopped, looking around at them with a worried expression.

“Um, just one thing. I accidentally cut my finger while chopping up carrots for dinner one night and it didn’t hurt or bleed or anything like it should have. Why? Was there poison in that spring or something that’s affecting my body?” Hugo asked quietly, becoming panicked. Maybe he wasn’t able to bleed anymore and could die from it. He thought of everything that could be wrong in that ten-second pause until Miles finally spoke up.

“Kind of the opposite, actually,” Miles shifted, looking at Hugo. “I know you saw the attraction earlier. That’s what happens to those who drink. We can’t get hurt, and we can’t die.” Hugo looked to each of them, feeling a hundred different emotions.

“What does that mean for me?” he questioned. On one hand, he was relieved that it wasn’t killing him slowly, but on the other hand, he didn’t know if never dying was any better.

“Well, it means you’re going to stay the same age forever. How old are you anyway?” Jesse asked curiously.

“I just turned seventeen in September,” Hugo folded his hands in his lap. Jesse grinned widely, sitting up.

“I’m seventeen too! Well, technically I’m over a century old, but physically I’m seventeen!” He nudged Hugo. “I guess you won’t be alone after this whole ordeal is over.” Hugo nodded. He still didn’t know how to feel about the whole living forever deal, it seemed like a fairytale, but at least he wasn’t alone in it.

“Now that you’re here and that man is leaving tomorrow, we can get Winnie out and back home in no time!” Miles smiled. “I know she’ll be excited about that.” Jesse stood up, grabbing his jacket.

“I’m going to go see her,” he looked at Hugo. “You comin’ with, Hugo?” Hugo nodded, picking up his satchel. He smiled at the rest of the Tucks politely before following Jesse out of the wagon.

“It was nice to meet you! I’m looking forward to getting to know you better,” he said cheerfully and walked out with Jesse into the cold air. Hugo looked at Jesse curiously. “So how did you meet Winnie?” Jesse laughed a little.

“Technically, we kind of kidnapped her,” Jesse rubbed his neck nervously. Hugo gave him an incredulous look and Jesse held his hands in the air. “We were going to return her home, I swear! She had just found out about the spring and we didn’t want her to drink from it or anything until she knew all the sides of it. But then that man found us as we were taking her back home and he blackmailed us by holding her hostage,” he sighed. “So now we’ve been here for three months.” Hugo nodded, thinking more about the spring.

“I’m never going to die… What’s that like?” he turned to Jesse. Jesse shrugged, putting his hands in his coat pockets.

“It depends on who you ask. The rest of my family hates their prolonged lives at this point, but I still feel like there’s more for me to find out there,” Jesse looked at Hugo. “I’m sure if you wanted to, we could have fun adventures together!” Hugo laughed a little, fiddling with his bag strap nervously.

“I’ve never been out of Treegap before now, I don’t know how much adventure I can take,” Hugo pointed out.

“Oh right, because nothing ever happens in Treegap. It’s barely changed in the almost ninety years I’ve been there. Granted, I leave every ten years, but it’s always the same when I come back,” Jesse laughed. “I bet it’ll never change.”

“What kind of adventures do you go on?” Hugo reached into his bag and grabbed his scarf. As he wrapped it around his neck, Jesse leaned against one of the other wagons and looked up at the sky.

“Lots of adventures. I’ve been all around the world. I haven’t seen everything, but I’ve gotten close,” he bragged, crossing his arms. Hugo looked at him in amazement.

“Have you seen the pyramids? I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt!” Hugo beamed. Jesse nodded, grinning. He’d never met someone who was so keen on hearing about his adventures.

“We could see them together if you wanted. You’re going to live just as long as me, so we might as well be friends!” Jesse nudged him. Hugo grinned back at him as they walked across the fair. They saw Winnie sitting outside, talking to the toad. Jesse smiled and sat down beside her. “That toad really is a good listener, huh? I guess I’m out of a job now,” he teased. Winnie smiled and Hugo sat on her other side.

“How are you doing Winnie?” Hugo asked, looking at her. She shrugged, looking down.

“I’ll be better once we get home and have normal lives again,” she sighed. Jesse and Hugo exchanged a glance and Jesse coughed.

“Um, about that,” Hugo sighed. “Something happened while I was looking for you that might affect the whole normal thing,” Winnie cocked her head curiously.

“What happened, Hugo?” Winnie asked. Jesse sighed and looked at her.

“Hugo drank from the spring. He didn’t know what it was, but he can’t do anything about that now,” Jesse explained. Winnie looked down, disappointed.

“We’re not going to be able to Treegap then, are we?” Winnie sighed. Hugo laughed a little.

“Winnie, that’s not what we’re saying! I’ll take you back and I’ll stay there as long as I can, but I can’t really stay there for long because of the water,” Hugo shrugged.

“And it’s not like you’ll never see either of us again, because I still have this,” Jesse pulled out the small bottle of the water. “I know pa explained to you why you shouldn’t drink it, but I still want you to!” Winnie grinned at him and took the bottle.

“When I turn seventeen, right? That’s when you wanted me to drink?” Winnie looked down at it.

“Or later if you feel like you need to stay in Treegap longer.” Jesse nodded. “Imagine how much fun that would be! The three of us all having adventures together!” He enticed, nudging Winnie’s shoulder. Winnie gave him a small smile, nodding along.

“First, we have to get you out of this place, okay?” Hugo smiled. “Once that man leaves tomorrow, we’ll come up with a plan.” He yawned, stretching his arms. “I’ve had a long day, so I’m going to head back. Walk me there, Jesse?” Hugo stood up. Jesse nodded and rose to his feet, looking down at Winnie.

“Have a good night! Hopefully it’ll be your last here,” he smiled encouragingly. Winnie nodded and Jesse walked away with Hugo. Hugo held the strap of his bag again and Jesse looked at him curiously. “You do that a lot. What’s with that?” he gestured to the way Hugo gripped the satchel to his chest.

“I just always have it with me so I hold onto it when I’m stressed,” he sighed.

“Why are you stressed? You found Winnie after searching for a long time and we’re going to get her home in no time!” Jesse shrugged. “You should be relieved.”

“Well, I’m still stressed. I don’t know if I  _ want _ to live forever but I can’t really do anything about it,” Hugo looked down at his feet. Jesse stopped walking and sighed.

“Hugo, look…” He leaned up against one of the wagons, looking Hugo in the eye. “It’s going to be horrible after a few years; that’s true. But you know what? It’s going to be a hell of a lot easier having someone with you. At least you found out before it was too late. Imagine how much more it would have hurt if you got married and were trying to start your life together when you found out. At least now you have less to lose,” Jesse tried to smile at him. “I’ll help you adjust. It’ll be fun to not be alone for ten years at a time,” he punched Hugo’s arm playfully. Hugo smiled a little, rubbing his arm.

“You sure it’s going to be okay?” Hugo looked at him curiously. Jesse nodded.

“I’m positive. Now, come on. You’ve got to be exhausted,” he walked back with Hugo to the wagons. He entered first, seeing his entire family asleep. Hugo set his bag down as Jesse handed him a few blankets. He smiled appreciatively and took his jacket off. Jesse lay down, still fully clothed, and pulled his own blankets over him. Hugo lay beside him, staring at the ceiling of the wagon. Everything seemed to have happened so fast. In just a few hours, he lost his mortality, found Winnie, and made a new friend. In Treegap, nothing interesting happened. But Hugo wasn’t the same person who had started looking for Winnie a few months prior. He’d become more confident in his ability to do detective work, and just by being around Jesse, Hugo felt like his energy was rubbing off on him. Although he didn’t know if he could be as adventurous as Jesse just yet; that was going to take some time.


	7. Chapter 7

Jesse woke up early the next morning, hearing Hugo stir. Upon noticing Hugo shrugging his jacket on, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Did he not know that they moved on every morning?

“What’re you doing, Hugo?” Jesse yawned. “I don’t think we’ve even started going to the next location yet, you don’t have to get up,” he pointed out, smoothing out his bedhead. Hugo adjusted his bow tie and slipped his bag onto his shoulder.

“I know, I was going to try and steal the keys to Winnie’s handcuffs while that man was still asleep,” he looked at Jesse. “The farther we get from Treegap, the harder it will be to get back.” Jesse laughed a little, standing up.

“Are you serious?” he raised an eyebrow. “That’s a gutsy move. Are you sure you can pull it off?” Jesse crossed his arms. “No offense, but you’re not the adventurous type. I’m coming with you.”

“Why are you coming with?” Hugo questioned. Jesse took Hugo’s satchel off of his shoulder and set it aside.

“First of all, you can’t take your bag with if we’re sneaking around. It’ll be too loud and it could accidentally knock stuff over. Plus, you’re not exactly the stealthiest person around, let’s be real here.” Hugo pouted, crossing his arms.

“Let me guess, you’ve stolen things before?” He gave Jesse a look, obviously already knowing the answer. Jesse shrugged, pulling his own jacket on.

“I’ve been stealing from this fair for months. That’s why I’m coming with. You need a partner in crime. Literally,” he laughed to himself, causing Hugo to roll his eyes.

“Great joke,” Hugo muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Fine, you can come with! As long as we get Winnie out, that’s all that matters.” Jesse nodded, buttoning his jacket up. They left the wagon, searching for the wagon that belonged to the man in the yellow suit. The sun hadn’t come up yet and a thick layer of fog covered the field where the fair was still partially set up. Hugo shivered, looking around nervously. He couldn’t help but be scared in the dark and unfamiliar place, but Jesse’s presence seemed to take a little of the edge off. Hugo decided that he and Jesse would make a great pair when they were traveling together. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about Jesse intrigued him.

“Do you even know where you’re going or do I need to lead the way?” Jesse asked, interrupting Hugo’s thoughts. Hugo looked at Jesse and blushed in embarrassment.

“You’ll need to lead the way. I have no clue where his wagon is.” He admitted sheepishly. Jesse laughed and elbowed him playfully.

“Don’t sweat it, Hugo. Just know that I’m a better detective than you,” Jesse teased as he looked around, figuring out where they were in the fairgrounds. Hugo was about to protest Jesse’s statement, but was cut off as Jesse grabbed his hand. He ran to their left, dragging Hugo past all the wagons and half-disassembled tents. Hugo’s cheeks went even redder as Jesse held his hand and was grateful that it was too dark for Jesse to see him. Jesse was oblivious to the fact and kept running until they came to an elaborately decorated wagon. Hugo looked it up and down, laughing to himself. This was definitely the right place. Jesse turned to Hugo and put his hand on Hugo’s shoulder. “Alright, I’m going in there to get his keys. You stay out here and watch for anyone coming, got it?” He turned to enter the wagon, but Hugo grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“This was my idea, I can handle it,” he insisted. “Just give me a chance, Jesse.” Jesse looked at him for a moment, then nodded. They both entered the wagon silently, looking around. Hugo noticed a keyring on a hook near a couch where the man was passed out, snoring lightly. He nudged Jesse and began to walk over to it slowly, taking extra care to make each step as quiet as possible. Jesse followed behind, but didn’t notice the rug near the edge of the couch. His shoe caught the end of the rug, causing him to trip and fall. He fell to the ground with a dull thud as Hugo froze, keys in hand. They both looked nervously toward the man, who was still sound asleep, undisturbed by the sound of Jesse tripping. Jesse let out a sigh of relief and stood up as Hugo grinned, holding up the keys. They quickly ran out of the wagon and cheered, looking down at the keyring.

“We did it!” Jesse cried out. “Well, mostly you. I almost blew it,” he laughed nervously. Hugo shrugged, running his fingers through his hair. Upon realizing that he messed up his hair and now had a messy side part, he quickly tried to fix it. “Wait, keep it like that,” Jesse grinned at him. “I like it a lot that way.” Hugo blushed and quickly looked at the ground.

“W-we should go break out Winnie before it gets too late,” he stuttered nervously, fiddling with the keys in his hand. “There are a lot here, so it could take a while to find the right one.” He began to walk to the area where Winnie was being kept as Jesse followed him. Hugo finally found her and knelt beside her tiny house, knocking lightly on the outside. “Winnie… Wake up, we’re here to break you out,” he called out softly. Winnie immediately woke up, looking at him with wide eyes.

“I’m finally getting out of here?” She asked as if were almost too good to be true. Hugo jingled the keys, smiling at her.

“You’ll be back in Treegap in no time. I promise.” He began to try every single key, looking around nervously as the sky began to get lighter. Jesse looked around the edge of the wagon and turned back to them.

“Hey, not to rush you or anything, but they’re all starting to pack everything up. We gotta hurry if we’re going to get her out.” Jesse called out to them and Hugo looked down, trying to unlock the handcuffs more frantically. After hearing the satisfying click, the handcuffs fell from her wrist and Winnie let out a sigh of relief, hugging Hugo tightly. He smiled and hugged her back before turning to Jesse.

“Jesse, take Winnie and run into town, okay? I need my bag and then we can meet at the train station.” He stood up as Winnie grabbed her toad, running to Jesse’s side. “I’ll tell your family where you are and I’ll be there as soon as possible.” He tossed the keys aside. Winnie and Jesse took off running from the fair together, relieved that it would all be over soon. As Hugo began to walk back to the wagon, he heard that sinister voice that sent chills down his spine.

“I know what you did, boy.” Hugo felt a hand on his shoulder and whipped around, coming face to face with the man in the yellow suit. “Did you really think you could steal my ring of keys, free the girl, and not have any consequences?” He grabbed Hugo’s wrist, gripping tightly. “You just made a fatal mistake. Her life isn’t on the line anymore, yours is.” He pulled out a knife. Hugo could only stare in fear, scared of the inevitable. The man stabbed him through the stomach, but all Hugo felt was a slight pinching in his gut, instead of his insides being torn through. The man gasped when Hugo didn’t flinch at all, looking Hugo in the eye. “You’re one of them too. That just made you more valuable to me.” He dragged Hugo away from the wagons as Hugo struggled to get away. But even with the water affecting his whole body, he wasn’t strong enough to get away. He could only hope that Winnie and Jesse got away safely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to give a quick thank you to everyone who's been reading and commenting! Your support means the world to me! This fic is almost at 100 hits and I never thought it would reach anywhere near this, so thank you guys so much! You're all seriously the best! I'll be posting the first chapter of a new fic entitled "1977" (Anyone who can guess what that's about based on my Tumblr history is honestly the best) later this week! I'll post the first chapter, but I'll wait to put up any more until "Join the Parade" is finished! Again, thank you all, you guys are amazing and I don't deserve you!   
> \- Maddie


	8. Chapter 8

Jesse and Hugo had been gone all morning, so the rest of the Tucks figured they’d gotten Winnie out and were on their way back to Treegap. At that rate, they’d only have to suffer through one more day until they could sneak out. As they began to get their belongings together, the door to the wagon opened and Hugo was hastily shoved inside. The man locked the door behind him and Mae knelt beside Hugo.

“Are you alright, Hugo? Where are Winnie and Jesse?” She asked, helping him up. Hugo took a deep breath and took his jacket off.

“Winnie and Jesse are fine. They got out safely. But he caught me and now he knows that I’m like you.” He gestured to the hole in his shirt from where the knife stabbed him. “I think as long as we get out tonight, we’ll be fine. I just wish I could let Jesse and Winnie know that we’re going to meet up with them.” Hugo looked down at his bag, then got an idea. “Are any of you good at picking locks by any chance?” he held out the satchel to the Tucks. “I know there must be something in there that could work at getting that door open.”

“Let me take a look,” Miles said, standing up. “Jesse’s not the only member of this family who has gotten into trouble.” He dug through the bag. Finding a small pin at the bottom of the bag, he grinned triumphantly. His smile instantly reminded Hugo of the way Jesse grinned when they managed to get the keys without being caught. He felt himself missing Jesse even though they’d only been apart for an hour at the most. Miles made his way to the door and began to pick the lock before it swung open. Miles smirked at his family, obviously pleased with himself. “Let’s go meet up with the other two before the wagons leave!”

Jesse paced around the train station while Winnie looked around curiously. It had been a while since she’d been in a real city. Treegap wasn’t a huge town to start with, but being confined to that fair made her appreciate her newfound freedom. She looked at the map against the ticket booth and nudged Jesse.

“This is the town right by Treegap! We can take a train there and I’ll be home in no time!” She cried out and smiled at him. Jesse chuckled and looked at the passing crowds.

“That is, if Hugo gets back in time. What’s taking him so long?” He fussed, beginning to grow worried. If Hugo wasn’t back soon, they might as well start walking to get Winnie home. The next train left in only a few minutes and there weren’t any more to that location until the next day. Noticing a familiar flash of color in the crowd, Jesse froze. “Winnie, run,” he said in a serious voice, not even turning to her.

“What? Why Jesse, shouldn’t we wait for Hu-”

“Winnie. Run.” He grabbed her by her shoulders. Winnie noticed the yellow suit advancing toward them and took off in the opposite direction without a second thought. Jesse clenched his jaw and walked toward him, ready for a confrontation.

“Where’s the girl?!” The man demanded, shaking Jesse.

“Why would I tell you?” Jesse spat, glaring up at him. “Winnie’s gone and you won’t be able to find her. Just try,” he challenged, hoping that the man wouldn’t call his bluff.

Winnie ran through the crowd of people, never looking back. She began to grow afraid, but couldn’t stop. If she stopped, she might never get out of that fair alive again. Winnie weaved in and out of the people on the street, not knowing where she was going or how she was going to get back to Jesse. She eventually ducked into an alleyway and leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath. She slid down until she was sitting against it and closed her eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched, pushing whoever it was away from her.

“Don’t touch me!” She cried out in fear, trying to run again.

“Winnie, relax. It’s me.” She looked up and saw Miles kneeling beside her. She hugged him tightly and sighed. He looked at her, brushing her hair out of her face. “Are you okay? Where’s my brother?” He asked softly. Winnie looked down, pulling away from him.

“The man in the yellow suit caught up to us. Jesse told me to run, so I did. I don’t know where he is now. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to get separated from him.” Winnie sniffed. Miles helped her up and smiled, making sure she knew he wasn’t upset with her.

“I’m glad you got away. I’m sure my brother can handle himself until we can find him.” he turned to Hugo. “How much money do you have on you?”

“About fifteen dollars. Why?” Hugo raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Well, we can get a hotel room for the night with that and still have plenty of money for the train. I think all of us could use it. And I have about three dollars that I swiped from the fair. We could use that and all get new clothes because we’re definitely a little worse for wear.” Miles pointed out, gesturing to their grimy clothes. “Ma, why don’t you and I go find Jesse, then pa, Hugo, and Winnie can all go find some place to stay tonight. We’ll all meet there. I saw a hotel about three blocks south of here, so we’ll stay there.” He pulled some money from his jacket pocket and handed it to Hugo.

“Alright, let’s go.” Hugo smiled at Winnie. Angus kissed Mae on the cheek before picking up Winnie and giving her a piggyback ride. She grinned and held onto him as they walked to the hotel. Hugo paid for their room and got the keys to it. They’d all decided that Hugo looked better than two people who had been stuck with a traveling fair with no access to a bath for the past three months. As they entered the room, Winnie leapt off of Angus’ back and hopped onto one of the beds and sighed happily, loving the feel of a real bed.

“This is so nice. Can we just live here?” Winnie looked up at them. Angus chuckled and removed his jacket. He sat down on the small couch across the room from the three beds and looked at Hugo.

“I’m really thankful that you came to help Winnie,” he smiled. “We owe you one.”

“Don’t mention it.” Hugo grinned, tucking the rest of the money into his satchel. “I’m just glad she’s okay.” He looked over at her and noticed that she had fallen asleep almost instantly. He laughed a little and took off her shoes, picking her up gently so as not to wake her up. He set her down underneath the covers and pulled the blankets over her. “She must feel like she’s sleeping on a cloud after three months of using old, ratty blankets as a mattress.” He turned to look at Angus once more. “How long has it been since you drank from the spring?” Angus stretched his legs and crossed his arms.

“Oh, it has to be about… Eighty-five or so years. Let me tell you, before Winnie showed up, I was just about done with existing.” He laughed lightly, though his eyes had no humor in them. Hugo sat closer to him and pulled his feet up on the bed.

“Why? Had something bad happened?” He asked curiously. Angus shrugged, looking at him.

“Not explicitly. But after eighty-five years, everyone you cared about isn’t there anymore. The reasons you were looking forward to living in the first place seem less important. Hell, if I didn’t have Mae, I’d probably be in a cabin in the middle of nowhere waiting for everything to end.” Hugo nodded, a million questions buzzing around in his mind.

“What did you do for a living before you drank?” He finally asked, leaning forward.

“Well, I just did odd jobs for a while. Carpentry, blacksmithing, the like. Then we moved to Treegap to start new lives. The first day we made it there, we drank from the spring. ‘Course, we didn’t figure it out till much later. Mae ‘n I started making a small life for ourselves, but we couldn’t keep it up after we figured out what had happened to all of us.” Angus paused for a moment before looking at Hugo. “What are you leaving behind?”

“A lot. My father is the detective in Treegap and I was going to follow in his footsteps. I was really close to becoming deputy.” Hugo sighed, looking down at his hands. “But I guess a new life could be fun too! I’ll be able to see more than I ever imagined!” He smiled, trying to be optimistic. “Plus, I’m really looking forward to getting to know your family more!” Hugo thought about Jesse more and smiled to himself. “Speaking of, I should wait for them in the lobby.” He rose from the bed and stretched his arms. Walking down to the lobby, he just hoped that they would be back soon. The sooner they got back, the sooner he could start his new life.


	9. Chapter 9

Mae and Miles walked to the train station together, looking around for any sign of Jesse or the man in the yellow suit. By that time, they figured Jesse had gotten into a fight with him or had run. A crowd had gathered around the station and Miles looked to his mother.

“I’d bet good money that’s Jesse trying to fight him,” he jogged over to the crowd and saw that the man had pulled a knife on Jesse and was threatening him with it. He apparently didn’t have any other weapon to use against the Tucks after he’d lost his pistol in Treegap. Miles sighed and pushed his way to the front, making eye contact with Jesse. Jesse gave him a look that could have meant that he was handling it, but was probably just him about to do something stupid.

The man lunged forward and instead of jumping out of the way, Jesse let the man stab him through the chest. Jesse collapsed with a fake look of pain and shock as Miles rolled his eyes. It was stupid, but Miles needed to play along if they were going to get out of there.

“No! Jesse!” Miles called out dramatically and ran to his brother’s side. A police officer grabbed the man in the yellow suit, dragging him away. Miles pretended to listen for a heartbeat. “You’re really stupid, you know that, right?” He muttered as Jesse went limp, his "dead" brother trying to conceal a grin. Seeing that the action was over, the crowd had dispersed somewhat, leaving Miles and Jesse alone. Miles picked him up and walked over toward Mae, slinging his brother over his shoulder.

“What happened?” Mae asked, giving them a confused look.

“Your genius son decided that he was going to play dead and drag me into it,” Miles gestured to Jesse, who was still limp. Mae laughed a little and started walking to the hotel.

“Of course he did. That was probably the most melodramatic option he could have gone with.” She pointed out.

“He’s heavier than he looks.” Miles sighed, switching Jesse to the other shoulder. After walking for a while, he looked around to make sure that nobody was still watching them after the incident, then dropped his brother. Jesse tumbled to the ground and gave Miles a dirty look. He stood up, brushing off his pants.

“Excuse you, I handled that flawlessly.” Jesse adjusted his vest. Miles rolled his eyes, shoving him over.

“I wouldn’t call pretending to be stabbed “handling that flawlessly.” You could have gotten caught, you know. You’re lucky nobody was looking closely enough to notice the lack of blood on the knife or coming out of you, for that matter.” He lectured, causing Jesse to roll his eyes, mocking his brother.

“Well, I got away with it, so it doesn’t matter. Why do you have to act like everything is a bigger deal than it is? Not every bad thing that happens is the end of the world, Miles.” Mae interrupted them by smacking each of them on the back of the head.

“Stop fighting, I mean it!” She sighed. “Can you two just get through something and not be at each other's throats?” Miles and Jesse both looked down sheepishly.

“Sorry, ma.” Jesse muttered.

“Now, why don’t we just get back to the hotel and rest for the night?” Mae gave them both a stern look.

“Hotel?” Jesse questioned, looking at them both. “Since when are we staying in a hotel?”

“Since we missed the next train to New Hampshire for the day.” Miles patted his back and continued walking. They soon came to the hotel and saw Hugo waiting outside, fiddling with the strap of his bag. He looked up and his face lit up the moment his eyes met Jesses.

“You made it! I was starting to worry that something had happened to you!” Hugo walked over to them. Jesse grinned and walked over to Hugo.

“I thought something happened to you! Where the hell did you go, I was so worried.” Jesse put his hand on Hugo’s arm, looking him in the eye. Hugo suddenly became hyper aware of the contact between them and ducked his head down in embarrassment.

“Well, uh… I went back for my bag, but that man found out that I’d taken his keys. And then he threatened me and found out I was immortal like you.” Hugo sighed, fiddling with the strap of his satchel again. “Then he locked me up with your family. Miles picked the lock and helped us get out.” He shrugged. “But everything should be fine now! We’ll get a good night’s rest tonight and be back in Treegap by tomorrow evening! Now come on, let’s go back to our room. Angus and Winnie are asleep, so try to be a little quiet.” Hugo looked at all of them.

“Angus could probably sleep through a bomb going off,” Mae laughed. “We don’t have to worry about waking him up.” Hugo led them to the hotel room. Mae noticed Winnie asleep on the bed and smiled. “I’m so glad she gets a night of relaxation after all of this. She really deserves it.” Jesse stretched out onto one of the beds and yawned.

“Who’s sleeping where tonight? Because I don’t want to move from this spot.” He sank into the mattress. Hugo lay down beside him and Mae giggled.

“I guess you two can take that bed, Angus can stay on the couch like he is right now, and Miles and I can share the last bed and let Winnie have her own.” She nodded, looking around the room. Winnie slowly sat up, yawning.

“Oh… It wasn’t a dream! We really got away.” She stretched, looking around at everyone. Her stomach growled and she wrapped her arms around her torso instinctively, looking embarrassed.

“We should probably get some food,” Hugo said, rising from the bed. Jesse groaned and rolled off the bed.

“I’ll come with as soon as I get off the floor.” Jesse mumbled, obviously exhausted.

“You don’t have to! I can manage by myself if you all just want to sleep.” Hugo smiled sweetly, grabbing some of his money from his bag. Jesse scrambled to his feet, grinning.

“I don’t wanna lose you again! You can’t go off all by yourself. I’m coming with.” He decided, wrapping an arm around Hugo, causing his smile to spread across his face.

“Anything else you need? Oh, we could get new clothes! I have enough money with me,” Hugo nodded.

“That would be lovely. Thank you, Hugo.” Mae smiled at him as he and Jesse left the room together. She turned to Miles and raised an eyebrow. “How long do you think it’ll be until they both realize it?”

“I give them four months before they admit their feelings for each other for the first time.” Miles sat against the headboard of the bed. “Jesse seems a little oblivious though, so it’ll probably be a little longer.” He stretched out his legs, suppressing a yawn. Winnie crawled over onto their bed and sat between Mae and Miles.

“Mae, what do you think about me drinking from the spring when I turn seventeen like Jesse wants?” Winnie looked at her. Mae took a deep breath and held Winnie’s hands.

“Winnie, you don’t still think that’s a good idea, do you? I know Jesse says it’s all fun and games, but you have to see the serious side of things.” She said quietly.

“I know that! But Jesse and Hugo are the only real friends I’ve ever had and since they both drank…” Winnie trailed off. Mae pulled her into a warm embrace and sighed.

“I know you may feel alone once you get back home, but trust me. Your life is more precious than you think, Winnie. After a few decades, it won’t be as fun anymore. Especially at seventeen. You may never be able to feel like an adult because you’ll never look like one.” Winnie hugged her back and looked down.

“I don’t think I’ll drink, then. I might change my mind after thinking about it for a few years, but I might just live my life like I should. Without the water.” She nodded. Mae smiled.

“Even if you do drink, it’s not like we’ll suddenly hate you,” she giggled. “It’s just that none of us would have chosen it willingly and it baffles us that someone would want to.” Winnie smiled and went back to her bed, yawning again.

“Let me know when Hugo and Jesse come back with the food, okay?” She snuggled under the blankets once more and instantly fell asleep. They’d all had an exhausting couple of months and could all benefit from a warm room and comfortable beds to sleep away the stress they had been through.


	10. Chapter 10

Hugo and Jesse walked through the streets, looking for a grocery store. Jesse shivered slightly, pulling his jacket tighter around his small frame. Hugo noticed his discomfort and reached into his satchel, pulling out his scarf. Stopping Jesse, he wrapped the scarf around him.

“Better?” Hugo smiled and Jesse buried his face in the warm wool around his neck.

“Much better. Thanks, Hugo,” his voice was muffled by the fabric as he tried to warm up. After a few more minutes of walking, Jesse spotted a produce shop and a bakery across the street. Grabbing Hugo’s hand, he dragged him through traffic, weaving in and out of the crowds. Hugo stumbled behind him, his cheeks bright red. But whether that was from Jesse’s touch or the cold November air was anyone’s guess. As they entered the produce shop, Jesse looked around, not sure where to go first. Hugo laughed, this time dragging Jesse through the aisles of fruit and vegetables. After picking up produce and stopping by the bakery for various baked goods, Hugo realized how much he enjoyed the simple joy that the situation brought. Just buying groceries with Jesse made him feel like the situation was normal, despite the fact that they were both immortal and would probably never experience anything considered normal again.

“Jesse, how have you never really set foot in a real shop?” Hugo teased as they carried the food back to the hotel.

“Look, usually Ma and Pa do the shopping. And when I travel, I eat at restaurants.” Jesse defended as he juggled two paper bags in his arms, leaving Hugo with the small package of bread from the bakery. “How have  _ you _ been shopping?”

“My mother died when I was five after a miscarriage so I’ve been doing the shopping for about four years now. My dad is busy most of the time, but it’s fine because I’ve learned to take care of myself!” Hugo smiled sadly, thinking of his father. Jesse caught on and sighed.

“Couldn’t you see him for at least a little bit? I mean, it’s not like he’d notice for about a year,” he suggested.

“Maybe. I just think it will be harder for when I do have to leave,” Hugo went quiet. Jesse wished he could have put the grocery bags down in order to properly comfort Hugo.

“Hey, I don’t think it will be any easier to never see him again. At least if you go back, you’ll get closure. Plus, I’m sure he’ll be proud of you for finding Winnie.” He grinned. Hugo managed to crack a small smile and nodded.

“You’re right. I guess I’ll stick around for a couple of months. You’ll be fine, right?” Jesse snorted.

“Of course I’ll be fine! You know, I might even stay with my parents for those few months. I’m sure they’d be thrilled to have me around for a little while longer. And I’d be closer to you.” Jesse couldn’t quite figure out why, but the idea of not having to separate from Hugo seemed so appealing to him. A million ideas of how he and Hugo could spend time together ran through his head and a singular thought suddenly made him stop. Why was he so intent on staying around Hugo? What feelings did he have for him that made him feel like that? Jesse brushed those thoughts away, but couldn’t quite seem to get back into the conversation fully. As they bought clothes for the rest of the Tucks and Winnie, Jesse could barely focus. Hugo kept asking him questions, like what size clothing his family wore, what kind of clothes they typically wore. He gave Hugo the answers he was looking for, but was only half-listening.

“Jesse, I asked you if you’d found any clothes yet. Are you alright, you’ve been acting weird for the past half hour.” Hugo looked at him worriedly. Jesse nodded, clearing his throat.

“I’m fine, Hugo.” He noticed the bag of clothes Hugo had gotten for his family. “I’ll just wear anything you think will look nice on me.” Hugo turned away and Jesse could have sworn he saw him blushing. After searching for a while, Hugo smiled, holding up a pair of black pants and a dark green button up. “They look great. Thanks.” Jesse nodded and they finally made their way back to the hotel. Everyone was asleep, except for Miles, who was washing his face in the small sink at one end of the room. Drying himself off, he noticed Hugo and Jesse in the mirror.

“Did you get everything you needed?” He asked, rolling his sleeves back down. Jesse responded by tossing a new outfit at him. Miles chuckled and grinned at them. “Thanks. It really means a lot that you decided to help us out, Hugo.” Miles changed, then walked over to Winnie and lightly shook her shoulder. “Hey, Winnie? We’ve got food and a new dress for you to wear.” Winnie opened her eyes, sitting up slowly.

“Good. I’m starving.” Miles looked through the bags, then handed her a bagel and an apple. He lay the light blue dress next to her and sat down on his own bed, eating an apple as well. Winnie hugged Jesse and Hugo tightly, grinning. “I’m really glad you two are here.”

“I’m just glad we’ll be able to take you home by sundown tomorrow.” Hugo nudged her. “I bet you’re excited to see your family again, huh?”

“Very. I’m also excited to have a normal life again.” Winnie giggled. “Aside from the fact that my two best friends are immortal.”

“Well, you couldn’t have asked for better immortal best friends.” Jesse shrugged. Miles snorted from his bed.

“Hugo is one thing. Nobody wants you for a best friend, Jesse ‘I’ll Jump Off a Cliff For Fun’ Tuck” Jesse pouted.

“Well nobody wants you for a best friend either, Cry-les Fuc-” Mae threw her pillow at Jesse.

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, young man!” She said in the most disapproving voice. Miles snickered as Jesse looked down sheepishly.

“I didn’t think you were awake.” He tried to make an excuse.

“Oh, so you would have used that language around Winnie, now would you?” Jesse buried himself further in the scarf he was still borrowing from Hugo.

“Never mind,” he muttered, his voice muffled. Collapsing on the bed, Jesse continued to keep his face hidden in the small pile of wool in his hands. Hugo took his satchel off of his back and lay down beside Jesse, feeling exhausted.

Hours later, Hugo woke up, not knowing that he’d fallen asleep. He saw that everyone was asleep, except for Jesse, who had changed into his new clothes and washed up. Jesse held Hugo’s scarf, playing with it in his hands.

“Jesse, are you okay? Why aren’t you asleep?” Hugo squinted at a clock across the room that was illuminated by the moonlight streaming into the room. “It’s nearly two in the morning.”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Jesse muttered. Hugo stretched his arms and turned to Jesse, taking off his jacket and shoes.

“What’s wrong? You’ve been off ever since we went out earlier.” He rubbed Jesse’s arm comfortingly. Jesse took a deep breath before adjusting his position, looking Hugo in the eye.

“I feel like something’s wrong with me. Every time I look at you, I can’t think of anything to say, or I think of too many things I want to tell you and I can’t get any of them out. I get weird feelings in my stomach whenever you say my name or whenever we… Make eye… Contact…” Jesse trailed off as Hugo gently held his hand.

“I feel the same way.” Hugo said quietly, but just loud enough that Jesse could hear him. Jesse bit his lip, then hugged Hugo tightly.

“I’m glad I never have to leave you behind like I do with everyone else.” Jesse whispered, holding onto Hugo. Hugo grinned widely as he embraced Jesse. The two sat there for a while, enjoying the warmth of each other’s embrace. When they finally pulled away, they both blushed, refusing to make eye contact. Hugo lay back down and Jesse finally snuggled under the covers. They pushed themselves to opposite edges of the bed, but held hands underneath the blankets. It was going to be uncomfortable in the morning, when it wasn’t just the two of them alone but also the other Tucks and Winnie added into the mix. But for then, they were happy.


	11. Chapter 11

Winnie woke first, which was understandable, as she’d been asleep the longest. For the first time in months, she felt like sleep had actually made her feel more refreshed, instead of just passing the time between one miserable day and another. As she sat up, stretching, she looked out at the sun rising through the half-open curtains. This would be the last sunrise she’d see until she would finally be home. The more Winnie thought about it, the more excited she was to have her seemingly boring life back. But just how much adventure would a life with Hugo and Jesse have? After all, this little ordeal seemed like enough adventure for one lifetime. Now, Winnie was content to have a normal life again. Maybe drinking the water wasn’t such a good idea after all. Besides, Jesse wouldn’t be alone anymore. He had Hugo, which was something he didn’t have a few months before when he originally asked Winnie to drink. He’d still be happy without her company, so she didn’t have to worry about that.

Lost in her thoughts, Winnie didn’t notice Miles waking up and rummaging around the room, making breakfast for everyone. She only realized it when she felt the bed dip beside her as Miles handed her a small bowl with fruit and bread and sipped a cup of tea, careful not to burn himself, regardless of whether or not it would affect him.

“Good morning.” Miles cracked a small smile as she began to eat. “How did you sleep?”

“A lot better than every other night for the past three months,” Winnie giggled, then looked down as her thoughts began to wander again. “Miles? I don’t think I want to drink from the spring anymore.” This seemed to catch his attention. He sat up straighter, looking at her.

“You don’t?” He asked curiously before catching himself. “I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing, but you seemed to be so determined to spend time with my brother before.”

“I know, but… He has Hugo now and so he won’t be upset if I just live my life like I should. So there’s nothing really stopping me from trying to be normal. Especially after everything that’s happened, I just feel like that’s what I should do.” Winnie nodded, mostly to herself. Miles smiled and rubbed her back.

“Winnie, I think it’s a great idea. You deserve it.” Miles walked over to Hugo’s bag, where he’d stashed her bear from the fair. “Do you want this back to take home with you?” Winnie shook her head, setting her bowl aside.

“No, I still want you to have it!” She smiled. Miles chuckled and sat down again, setting it down on the bed in front of him.

“Well, thank you for that.” He smiled back at her as everyone else started to wake up. Jesse sat up, still holding Hugo’s hand. Miles raised an eyebrow, causing Jesse to jerk his hand away from Hugo’s and blush deeply. Miles still smirked at him, knowing exactly what was running through his brother’s mind.

“Shut up, Miles…” Jesse muttered, getting up and dishing up his own breakfast.

“Didn’t say anything, Jesse.” Miles laughed, sipping his tea. “So, is he your boyfriend now?” Jesse choked on his breakfast, and gave his brother an annoyed look.

“I said. Shut. Up.” Jesse looked around to make sure his mother wasn’t awake yet, then flashed an obscene gesture towards Miles, who just kept on smirking knowingly at him. “Okay, maybe... I don’t know yet.” He looked down in embarrassment as Hugo started to wake up. Hugo yawned, then noticed both Miles and Jesse watching him. He fixed his hair self-consciously, looking around.

“What? Why are you staring? Is there a stain on my shirt?” Hugo looked down and Miles chuckled.

“You’re fine, Hugo. Jesse was just telling me that you two are- Hey!” Jesse elbowed him, spilling tea all down the front of his shirt. Hugo sat up, looking at them.

“You told him… What?” Hugo cocked his head curiously. Jesse sat beside him and took his hand.

“Nothing, he just kind of… Figured us out.” Hugo and Jesse looked down at their hands and instantly pulled away in embarrassment as Miles laughed at their bright red faces.

“Well, lovebirds, it’s not that long until the next train to New Hampshire leaves so we should probably get ready to go to the train station.” He stood up, cleaning up breakfast as Mae got up, shaking Angus awake. Hugo walked over to his bag and grabbed his shoes, looking at Winnie.

“Only a few more hours until you’re home! You’ll probably even be back before dinner!” He tied his shoes before slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Wait, where’s my scarf? Oh, right.” Hugo grinned, seeing it still wrapped around Jesse’s neck. Mae looked to Miles, giving him a knowing glance. Miles nodded in return, having a silent conversation. She smiled, making the bed as Hugo finished packing up his belongings. They all left, Hugo making sure to drop off the keys at the front desk.

“Miles, can I ride on your back until we get there?” Winnie looked up at him, grabbing his hand. He chuckled, lifting her onto his back.

“You’re going to miss having a free transportation system, aren’t you? Taking advantage of the Tuck family just for the piggyback rides.” Miles teased.

“Why else do you think I’ve stayed around you for so long?” Winnie grinned widely. As they got to the train station, Hugo purchased the tickets and walked back to the group, smiling.

“Who’s ready for this whole ordeal to be over?” He handed out the tickets and they all boarded the train. Taking their seats, Jesse looked at Hugo.

“I’m going to talk to my parents really quickly. I’ll be right back.” He walked over to where his parents were sitting and took a deep breath. “I want to stay with you for a few months. Is that okay?” Mae raised an eyebrow curiously, reminding Jesse a lot of Miles’ expression earlier.

“Is Hugo staying in Treegap for a few months too?” She asked, crossing her arms. Angus looked at Jesse in confusion and Mae laughed lightly, placing her hand on his arm. “Jesse and Hugo have feelings for each other.”

“Ma!” Jesse whined, covering his face in embarrassment. “You didn’t have to tell him too! Now everyone knows!”

“Regardless, is that the reason you want to stay in Treegap?” Mae smiled. Jesse looked down and nodded sheepishly.

"He’s staying for a few months just to spend a little more time with his father so I thought I could stay around to support him and help him prepare for what’s going to happen eventually when he has to leave.” Jesse smiled sweetly at them. “So, is it alright?”

“Let me get this straight… You’re asking permission to spend  _ more _ time with your parents than once every ten years? As if we would say no?” Angus chuckled.

“I guess it does sound stupid.” Jesse laughed.

“Just a little.” Mae nodded. “I guess we’ll see you at home, then!” Jesse grinned and walked back to his seat, holding Hugo’s hand the minute he sat down. Hugo grinned and squeezed his hand.

“Did you get enough sleep last night or were you up too late?” Jesse shrugged.

“I have plenty of time to sleep when we get back to Treegap. So, what’s the plan once we get there?” He asked, making himself more comfortable.

“I was thinking I could take Winnie to the station, show my dad that I actually found her, then make sure she gets home and then meet up with you somewhere. Maybe by the spring?” Jesse nodded.

“Sounds perfect. I’ll be able to settle down at home and you’ll be able to finish up your case properly.” He grinned.  Hugo nodded, adjusting his badge on his jacket.

“Do you think my dad will be mad that I left without a word?” He sighed, looking down at his hands that were interlaced with Jesse’s.

“Hugo, do you really think he would be upset? You got Winnie back! If he’s upset about that, then he’s crazy. You’ll be just fine.” Jesse reassured him. Hugo nodded and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. Jesse started to drift off to sleep, the white noise of the train helping him relax. He could only hope that Hugo wouldn’t be too hurt when they eventually had to move on, but knew he could help out if he needed to. All that mattered to Jesse was Hugo’s comfort at that point. He just wanted him to be happy.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really just wanted a double update for today because I couldn't stop writing. So, I hope you enjoy this!

Jesse woke up to Hugo nudging him a few hours later, once the train had stopped.

“Hey, we’re here. Ready?” Hugo smiled as Jesse rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“Definitely.” He yawned, standing up. Hugo picked up his bag once more and they walked off the train. Winnie hugged Mae and Angus tightly, getting a little teary eyed.

“I’ll never forget you.” She smiled. Angus chuckled, putting his hand on her shoulder.

“We won’t forget you either Winnie. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask, alright? You know where we’ll be for the next few decades.” He chuckled, taking Mae’s hand. Miles nudged her shoulder playfully, holding out the bear.

“Last chance to say goodbye to it.” He smiled. Winnie giggled, wrapping her arms around him. “Bye, Winnie. I really hope you get everything out of life that you deserve.” He ruffled her hair.

“Thank you, Miles.” She hugged him again. “Take good care of the bear, promise?”

“I promise.” Miles chuckled before turning to his parents. “I’m going to get the rest of my stuff from your place before I head out.”

“Stay for at least one more night, Miles.” Mae urged. “As much as we enjoyed having you around for the past three months, it wasn’t the ideal situation.”

“Alright, I will.” Miles nodded smiling a little, then looked at his brother. “Coming, Jesse?”

“Yeah, just a minute,” Jesse took Hugo’s hand. “Meet me at the spring at six, alright?” Hugo nodded.

“Of course. I’ll see you later.” He grinned. “Come on, Winnie! Let’s get you home!” Winnie nodded, looking at the Tucks one last time as they went their separate ways. They walked through the town for about a mile until they made it to the sheriff’s station. Hugo opened the door, smiling shyly. Constable Joe looked up from his work, his face lighting up when he noticed Hugo.

“Hugo? Where in God’s name have you been? I was worried sick about you!” He stood up from his desk and froze once he noticed Winnie standing beside Hugo.

“I found Winnie. She was trapped in that traveling fair that came to town a few months ago. So, case closed?” Hugo smiled a little. Joe laughed in disbelief, shaking his head as he paced around the room.

“You went off on your own, against what I said, by the way, looking for Miss Foster after I declared her gone forever. Then you show up back here after being God only knows where, with Winifred Foster, who we assumed was dead. And you just expect me to think that’s normal? Hugo…” He sighed as Hugo looked down at his feet. “Hugo, I have never been more proud of you.” Hugo looked up, a small smile lighting up his face.

“You’re proud of me, dad?” He asked softly, almost as if he didn’t believe it.

“I am. That’s the mark of a true deputy; following your instincts even if all the odds are against you. Why don’t we return Miss Foster to her family and then we can discuss you becoming deputy a little earlier than I expected?” He grabbed his jacket and hat off of the coat rack as Hugo beamed.

“Me?! Deputy?! I-” He cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. “That sounds like a good plan, sir.” Hugo couldn’t help the smile that kept surfacing. He fiddled with the strap of his bag as they all walked back to the Foster’s home. Winnie grinned widely as they opened the white picket fence. Hugo looked at her, smiling a little. “Hey, uh… Jesse and I are going to be around until March once it starts warming up again, so if you need anything from either of us or just want to talk, don’t be afraid to do so.” He said softly, making sure his father couldn’t hear him.

“Of course, Hugo.” Winnie smiled and turned around as Joe knocked on her front door. She ran over and seemed to bounce a little with excitement from seeing her family again. After everything that happened, she’d never expected to be back home. She saw the door open and ran into her mother’s arms without a second’s hesitation.

“Isn’t it the oddest thing? Hugo went out on his own to find her.” Joe laughed a little. Betsy Foster held onto her daughter, not wanting to let her go.

“Winnie, I can’t believe you’re alive! What on earth happened to you?” She looked down, smoothing out Winnie’s hair. Winnie sighed, still holding onto her.

“It’s a long story. I’m sorry if I scared you.” She looked up at her mother.

“Well, all that matters is that you’re home safe.” She looked out the door and smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Hugo. I owe you so much.”

“It was nothing. I’m just glad to see that she’s alright and back where she belongs.” Hugo grinned politely at her.

“You have a great rest of your day, Betsy. Good to see you again, Winifred.” He tipped his hat to them. He and Hugo walked away from the house. “I can’t express enough how proud I am of you, Hugo. I think you deserve the promotion to full-time deputy.” Hugo smiled widely, messing with the strap of his bag in his excitement.

“Really? I’ve only been working at this for a short while, though.” He looked to his father.

“That’s true, but I think after going that extra mile, you definitely deserve it. We’ll have a probationary period for the next few months before you’re fully promoted, just to make sure you have what it takes.” He shrugged. The sun began to set and he sighed. “Well, I should go lock up the station. I’ll make dinner tonight so you don’t have to after your absence. Just take the rest of the day off, alright?” He smiled a little as Hugo nodded.

“Okay. I’ll see you at home, dad.” Hugo waited for him to walk way before ducking into the forest, running for the spring. He saw Jesse leaning against the tree and Hugo ran to him, hugging him tightly. Jesse laughed, wrapping his arms around Hugo once more.

“Hello to you too! Is Winnie home safe?” Hugo nodded in response.

“And I have great news! I’m going to become deputy!” He beamed. Jesse smiled and hugged him tighter.

“That’s so great! I’m really happy for you!” He grinned back at Hugo. Hugo’s smile instantly disappeared and Jesse looked at him curiously. “Hey, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“Well, I just remembered that I’m going to have to leave it all in a few months. It’s not even worth getting excited about being deputy if I’m going to throw it all away.” Hugo’s voice broke slightly, tears brimming in his eyes.

“No, Hugo, it’s still amazing news! You won’t have to wonder for the rest of your life about what would have happened if you’d have stayed long enough to become deputy. You’ll get to live your dream, even if it’s just for a little while.” Jesse reassured him. “It’s going to be tough to leave, but you don’t have to think about that until March. So, until then, just be happy that it’s happening, alright?” He smiled sweetly. Hugo nodded, looking him in the eye.

“Thanks… It’s just going to be hard, y’know?” He wiped his eyes on his sleeve, looking down.

“Why don’t I show you my favorite place? We can just sit there and talk for a while until you need to go home.” Jesse offered. Hugo smiled, nodding once more.

“Where is it?” He looked around at their surroundings, wondering where Jesse’s favorite place could be.

“A little while north. C’mon!” Jesse grabbed his hand and smiled, leading him through the forest until they came to a clearing with a barn and a silo. Jesse climbed up the silo, helping Hugo up the rest of the way. Hugo held onto Jesse, a little nervous about how high up they were. Even though the fall couldn’t hurt him, he was still scared. “Hey, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you don’t fall.” Jesse comforted. “Isn’t the view spectacular? I don’t remember how long I’ve been coming here. I think it was even before we realized the effects of the spring.” He sat on the edge, swinging his legs back and forth.

“What was your life like before everything happened?” Hugo took a seat beside him. Jesse shrugged, laying back.

“It was a lot easier. I just kind of helped Pa with the various odd jobs he did and looked forward to Miles visiting with his family. He and I used to get along so much better. But I guess we’ve both changed a lot.” Jesse looked at Hugo. “The past three months have been the longest Miles and I have gone without fighting, and it was mostly because he refused to talk for most of it.” Jesse sighed, looking up at the sky again. “There’s a lot more stars out than I thought there would be.” He mused, changing the subject.

“I didn’t think it was going to be so clear out in November. The stars really look beautiful from here.” Hugo leaned back, looking up at the night sky. It wasn’t until a few moments later until he realized that Jesse wasn’t looking at the sky anymore, but at him. Hugo blushed, looking over at him. “What?” Jesse shrugged in response.

“I never thought anything could top this view, but I was wrong.” He grinned, obviously realizing how utterly sappy he sounded. Hugo rolled his eyes, looking back up at the sky.

“Sure. Good one, Jesse.” He laughed, not quite believing what Jesse said.

“I’m serious.” Jesse took his hand. “Look, Hugo… I really care about you. And I am so glad that we’re going to spend forever together. It’s going to be great to share the world with you.” Hugo blushed and looked down at their hands.

“Jesse, I…” He looked over at Jesse, overwhelmed with emotion, then placed his hand on his cheek before kissing him, taking him by surprise. Jesse’s eyes widened, not expecting it, then he kissed Hugo back, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him closer. Hugo grinned, pressing his forehead against Jesse’s.

“Do you have to go home tonight?” Jesse sighed, looking at Hugo. “We could just stay here all night.” Hugo sighed, pulling his hand away from Jesse.

“I should get going now, actually. My dad is probably wondering where I am.” He grabbed his bag and carefully climbed down from the silo. Jesse followed him, then kissed him again before he started walking home. Jesse smiled, holding his hand.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asked hopefully.

“Of course! I get off work at about five.” Hugo nodded.

“I’ll be at the spring!” Jesse grinned, taking off towards home. He slowed down after a while, thinking of everything that had just happened. He felt as if everything with Hugo was moving weirdly fast, especially since they had an eternity to spend together. But he’d never felt this way about someone else before, so he let himself revel in the feelings. As he neared home, he barely noticed Miles sitting on the porch, smoking a cigarette. Miles raised an eyebrow, seeing the huge grin on Jesse’s face.

“What did you  _ do _ while you were with Hugo?” Miles questioned, looking at him confusedly. Jesse rolled his eyes, sitting beside Miles.

“Apparently not what you’re thinking. We just sat and talked, that’s all.” He shrugged. Miles snorted and took another drag from his cigarette.

“That grin on your face says otherwise.” He pointed out.

“Fine, we kissed. It's not that big of a deal.” Jesse looked at him. Miles smiled and punched his arm playfully.

“I knew it.” He put out his cigarette.

“Miles, is it weird to care for someone so much after such a short amount of time?” Jesse leaned back on his elbows, stretching out his legs. Miles shook his head, looking at him.

“Not really. Remember how smitten I was after meeting Rose? Hell, she and I got married less than a year after we met. I don’t think your feelings are any different.” He smiled supportively at his brother. “Hey, um… I really enjoyed spending a little more time with you, even if we were locked in a cage and being shot at most of the time. I know I haven’t been the easiest to get along with since… You know, the whole thing with Rose and Thomas.” Miles sighed, looking out into the line of trees only a few yards ahead. “I’m really happy that you’re not going to be alone.”

“So am I.” Jesse smiled a little, thinking about all the places he could take Hugo. “I’m going to head in. Don’t stay up too late, old man.” He teased Miles, punching his shoulder before standing up. Jesse went inside the house, Hugo occupying his every thought. Jesse couldn’t believe he’d found someone who cared so much for him. For a while, he was scared that he was going to have to continue being alone. The rest of his family was content being by themselves and remaining secluded from society, but Jesse couldn’t function that way. He was just so relieved that Hugo wanted to stay with him as much as he wanted to stay with Hugo. Jesse was completely ready for the next chapter of his existence, where he could finally be content with existing again.


	13. Chapter 13

The next few months were like a dream that Hugo never wanted to wake up from. He’d finally got his dream job and was enjoying every second of it. Being deputy was one of the best parts of his life. Miles had even stuck around a little while longer to spend time with his family, even after claiming he would only stay for another night after they made it back home. After everything that had happened, Miles’ mood had seemed to improved a lot, which made it easier for he and Jesse to get along, something that they’d nearly forgotten how to do. Hugo started to feel at home around the Tucks and everything seemed to be perfect. But after fall turned into winter and winter turned into spring, he knew his days in Treegap were numbered. He didn’t want to leave the comfortable life he’d had for four months, but it would just be harder the longer he stayed.

As March neared its end, Hugo knew he had to leave sooner rather than later. It was going to be infinitely difficult, but Jesse would be there. In the morning before he left, he’d made sure to put everything he’d absolutely need in his satchel so he didn’t have to go home after work. That would only make it harder to leave. He just had to grin and bear whatever happened that day. He settled down at his desk, pulling out the unfinished paperwork for the case they’d completed the day before. Work went by fairly uneventfully, and Hugo grabbed his bag before his father stopped him.

“I’m going to be late home tonight. Don’t worry about making dinner for me.” He smiled, patting Hugo on the shoulder. “I’m really proud of how far you’ve come in the past few months. I know I don’t tell you enough, but I’m glad to be your father.” Hugo smiled, trying to conceal the tears that he could feel building up.

“T-thanks, dad.” He swallowed hard, feeling the lump in his throat from all the emotions. “I’ll see you at home, then.” He hoisted his bag over his shoulder, taking one last look at his father before leaving the station, finally letting the tears fall freely as he made his way to the Foster’s wood. Winnie noticed him from her yard and waved, smiling widely. Hugo wiped his eyes and walked over to her, leaning against the white picket fence. Winnie noticed his eyes that were red and puffy from crying and looked at him curiously.

“You’re leaving with Jesse soon, aren’t you?” Winnie asked. Hugo nodded, trying to smile.

“We’re going to leave tomorrow.” Winnie opened the gate, hugging him tightly. Hugo hugged her back and sighed, knowing he was going to miss her. She’d been a constant in his life for so long that after she was gone, Hugo knew he might lose his grip on reality.

“I’ll miss you, Hugo. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” She looked up at him and smiled.

“Of course. If you hadn’t gone missing, I’d have never met Jesse. So, I guess I have you to thank for that.” He grinned. Winnie laughed, then remembered something and gasped.

“Oh! Tell Jesse that I want you two to send me letters from wherever you go!” Winnie nodded. “I want to know where you two go for the next few years!” Hugo laughed, hugging her again.

“Sure thing, Winnie! I’ll make sure he remembers. And if he doesn’t, I will.” Hugo nudged her playfully. He was going to miss having her optimism around. In the past few months, Winnie had spent a lot of time with Hugo and Jesse. Her mother had decided to loosen the reins after a while, as long as Hugo was with her. Winnie pulled away from their hug, said her goodbyes, and waved to Hugo as he walked into the woods, waving back at her. After a while, he made it to the spring and noticed Jesse up in the tree. Hugo set his bag down and started climbing up after him. Jesse had helped Hugo become much more comfortable with heights, and the two were usually found perched atop a tree. Jesse noticed Hugo further down and grinned, climbing lower.

“I wondered when you’d be by!” Jesse kissed his boyfriend on the cheek and sat against the trunk of the tree.

“I’m going to stay with you tonight.” Hugo held his hand. “I decided that today’s the day.” Jesse’s smile turned to a look of concern.

“Are you doing alright? I know it can’t be easy…” Jesse held him closely, rubbing the top of Hugo’s hand with his thumb. Hugo sighed, pressing his face into Jesse’s shoulder.

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m being selfish.” He muttered as Jesse looked at him.

“Hugo, you’re not being selfish! It had to be done and I’m proud of you for being brave enough to do it.” Jesse hugged him tightly. “Come on, I’m sure Ma will make us something special for dinner.” He hopped down from the tree as Hugo followed him. “To ease you into the whole adventure thing, I was thinking that we could start by going to New York! Since you probably won’t want to head straight for a safari in Africa as your first adventure with me.” He chattered lightly, taking Hugo’s hand in his. Hugo nodded along to his plans, grateful that Jesse knew enough to distract him from everything he was leaving behind. As they reached the familiar cabin, Jesse saw his father out on the lake and waved before heading inside. Hugo set his bag down and Mae grinned at them.

“How was your day, Hugo?” She asked and he shrugged.

“Average, I guess. It was my last day, though. Jesse and I are going to leave for New York tomorrow.” Hugo sat down and Jesse nodded.

“He’s going to stay here tonight and we’re heading out in the morning!” He lay across the couch, settling his head down on Hugo’s lap. Mae laughed as Hugo stroked Jesse’s hair absentmindedly.

“Well, that’s great! I’ve noticed that you’ve been getting more and more bored while Hugo’s been at work. It’ll be good for you to get out again. How are you feeling about it?” She turned to Hugo.

“A little anxious, since I’ve barely left Treegap. I have no idea what to expect because I’m pretty sure Jesse’s exaggerated his stories.” Hugo teased, kissing Jesse’s cheek. Jesse rolled his eyes, sitting up.

“Have I exaggerated anything ever?” He asked.

“All the time.” Mae and Hugo answered together, then dissolved into a fit of laughter. Jesse pouted, covering his head with a pillow.

“Great, my mother and my boyfriend are making fun of me together.” He muttered. As much as he hated Hugo and Mae’s teasing, he had to admit that he was glad that Hugo had found his place in the Tuck family. Hugo was even close with Miles. Jesse had expected Miles to politely get along with Hugo, but they’d become almost as close as two brothers. Probably because their personalities were so similar once you got past Hugo’s anxiety and Miles’ hundreds of walls that he’d put up. Mae had taught Hugo to sew and knit after he asked her how she’d gotten so good at it and expressed interest in learning. By January, Hugo had made Jesse a scarf nearly as tall as he was. Jesse loved how proud Hugo looked when he’d put it on, commenting how much he adored the gift. Although the fish flopping around in the boat made Hugo nervous, he enjoyed chatting with Angus and being out on the lake. Jesse was really glad he’d assimilated into their family so quickly. Hugo seemed genuinely happy when he was around the Tucks and Jesse couldn’t be happier.

“So, what would you two like for dinner?” Mae smiled at the two boys as Miles came down the stairs. Hugo shrugged, running his fingers through his hair.

“I’ll have whatever Jesse wants! I don’t mind!” Although Hugo had become more confident in himself since meeting the Tucks, he still was respectful and didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. After all, if he said something wrong, he would have to still talk to them when the family all got together. Of course, Jesse misspoke more often than anyone else in the Tuck family and they all still cared about him.

“What about breakfast for dinner?” Jesse spoke up. “Y’know, some pancakes, eggs, sausage… I can help!” He hopped up from the couch.

“I can help too.” Hugo grinned. Miles laughed as they ran to the kitchen together.

“Hugo, make sure my brother doesn’t burn the house down!” He called after them. Hugo laughed, wrapping his arms around Jesse.

“Hear that? You can’t burn down the house like you wanted to.” He chastised jokingly.

“What am I gonna do now? Make dinner normally?” Jesse muttered sarcastically as he reached for the flour. “So, do you want to make pancakes or do you want to make eggs?”

“Well, not to brag or anything, but I can flip pancakes really well. It’s my one talent.” Hugo chuckled, grabbing a mixing bowl. As he made the pancake batter and poured it into the pan, Hugo hummed to himself, trying to keep his mood up. He knew it wasn’t worth it to get upset already. Spending one last night in Treegap should be pleasant for everyone and Hugo didn’t want to bring down the mood. As they finished making dinner, Angus came in, smiling.

“Smells good, boys!” He started setting the table for them. Hugo grinned, putting the plate of pancakes on the table.

“Thank you, Mr. Tuck.” Angus laughed, taking a seat.

“I’ve told you before, you can call me Angus.” He looked at Hugo in amusement. “We’re going to know each other for the rest of existence, so we can skip the formalities.”

“Right. Sorry, Angus.” Hugo laughed nervously and took a seat as Mae and Miles came in and Jesse set the last of the food on the table.

“Winnie insisted on calling you Mister Angus, even after you said it was alright to call you by your first name.” Miles chuckled. “Maybe it’s just a Treegap thing.”  Jesse held Hugo’s hand under the table and reached for the plate of pancakes. Miles raised an eyebrow as Jesse took half the stack.

“You do realize there are other people in the family, right?” Miles teased, elbowing his brother. Jesse mock laughed and elbowed him back.

“Don’t worry Miles, I made enough because I knew Jesse was going to take a lot.” Hugo smiled, squeezing Jesse’s hand.

“Wow, you really are perfect for my brother.” Miles turned to Jesse. “He’s even figured out your abnormally large appetite.” Miles smirked, taking one of the pancakes from Jesse’s plate.

“Hey, that’s mine!” Jesse whined as they bickered back and forth. Hugo grinned, feeling like he actually belonged with them. In that moment, nothing else mattered. All the Tucks were together, even Hugo who had become an honorary member of the Tuck family. There were no more threats facing the family, and the Tucks had all gotten a new lease on life. Miles had realized that there was more out there than just isolating himself; he knew that he wanted to make a difference in others lives like he’d done for Winnie. Mae and Angus had realized that they couldn’t stay in the middle of the woods forever and decided to move from Treegap in order to become part of society again, even if it was only for a few years at a time. And Jesse had found someone to share his entire world with. He would never have to be left alone again because he had Hugo; his partner in crime who meant more to him than anything else in his existence. The Tucks had never felt more fulfilled in their century of existence, and it was all thanks to a little red-haired girl who turned their lives upside down, upset the balance they've struck, and completely ruined everything for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it! Thank you to everyone who left me kudos or commented, it seriously means the world to me! To anyone who read this fic: you're the best. I never thought I would get this much feedback on something I've written and I couldn't ask for a better audience! If you want to, go check out the rest of my works! I have a few new things in mind, and I'll be updating "1977" more often since this one is all finished! Let me know what you think of this, and as always, you guys are amazing people! Maddie out! *finger guns*


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